The Stars Our Home
by Raging Archon
Summary: Once, the Protoss had an Empire that spanned from one end of the Korprulu Sector to the other. Now, with the Dark One dead, it was time to re-establish that Empire. But all Empire's, no matter how noble, are born in blood. Rated M for language and violence.
1. Whispers Among The Stars

**Hey there guys, it's me Raging Archon. Been meaning to write this Fic for a while now, but hadn't had the time to do so. For those wondering about time settings, this fic will be Post Volume 2 of RWBY and One Year after the events of Legacy of the Voids epilogue. The cover art for this Fic is also temporary, so I'll update it whenever I can. Well, nothing much to say now apart from I hope you enjoy the fic. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 1- Whispers Among The Stars**

"Well, we did it."

The members of Team RWBY glanced slightly in Yang's direction as she spoke, the four of them plus Zwei overlooking the City of Vale from Beacon's Landing Platform, separated only by the large body of water before them.

"We did it." Blake repeated, smiling slightly as she turned her gaze towards the metropolis, which buzzed with activity.

The four Huntresses had just aided in the defence of Vale when the Grimm had broken through the wall guarding the City, thanks to a certain Roman Torchwick and members of the terrorist organisation known as the White Fang. At first it seemed like an impossible task, defending the streets of Vale from what was without a doubt a Grimm Horde, but the swift arrival of more Huntsman and Huntresses plus reinforcements in the form of Atlas' new Knight units quickly turned the tide.

"If we don't get extra credit for that, I'm gonna be seriously disappointed." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms as she gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Weiss, a two-headed snake literally crushed a bakery." Yang deadpanned, narrowing her eyes as she leaned forward to meet the Heiress' eyes. "I wouldn't count on it."

"Plus, I mean, we didn't solve everything." Ruby concurred, kicking the air slightly as Weiss turned her attention to her. "A lot of people were hurt, and we still don't know why they did this, or who that mystery girl was."

"Well, not every story has a neat and tidy ending." Weiss defended, uncrossing her arms as she opted to lean back on them instead. "Trust me on that."

Ruby narrowed her eyes at Weiss as she said those words. Not that there was anything wrong with the statement, it was absolutely true, but she said it with such conviction. Almost too much conviction.

"We might not have all the answers, but we do have a lot of dangerous people behind bars." Blake suddenly spoke up, interrupting Ruby's train of thought. "And I think that's something we should be proud of."

"Yeah! And if anyone tries something like this again, we'll be there to stop them." Ruby stated, punching the air with a clenched fist. Still, she should probably ask Weiss later what she meant about the whole 'Neat and tidy' speech.

"Yay, teamwork, camaraderie, good guys, go team, all right, good job..." Yang murmured as she slowly leaned on her back before turning to face the rest of her friends. "So, what now?"

"I suggest training for the tournament..." Weiss hummed, bringing her hand to her chin before lowering it again. "But I guess we have that covered at this point."

It was silent for some time after Weiss spoke, the only noise being the thrum of the Atlesian Warship hovering nearby, the chirping of birds around them and the sound of water splashing against the ground.

"So then..." Blake murmured, falling silent again as she failed to follow through with the statement.

"Uhh… Time for bed?" Ruby suggested, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"Please."

"Absolutely."

"Yes."

The four girls quickly rose from their seating, followed by the black and white Corgi that was Zwei.

"I'm going to sleep forever." Yang yawned, stretching slightly as she proceeded to head over to the Campus, followed closely by Blake and Zwei.

"Hey, Weiss." Ruby said, quickly grabbing the attention of the Heiress, who turned quickly to face the Red Hooded Huntress. "What was all that about earlier?"

"Hmm?" Weiss hummed, tilting her head slightly in response.

"All that 'neat and tidy' stuff." Ruby elaborated, dipping her head slightly. "You said it like you knew it from somewhere before."

"Oh." Weiss replied, seemingly caught unawares by the statement. "It's nothing Ruby, just been a long day, that's all."

"If you say so..." Ruby mumbled back, eyeing the Heiress suspiciously. "You sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Weiss reassured, placing her hand on her chest as she laughed slightly. "Just...not the first time something like this has happened."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly again.

"Mountain Glenn." Weiss quickly replied, almost too quickly. "You know, the Grimm invading the Town and pretty much making it uninhabitable."

"Oh..." Ruby murmured, before shrugging slightly. "Okay, if you're certain."

"Yes, I'm fine Ruby." Weiss once again reassured, nodding slowly before gesturing to the Campus. "You go on ahead, I'll catch you in a bit."

"All right. See you later." Ruby cheerily replied, quickly dashing forward in order to catch up with her other friends.

As soon as she was out of sight, Weiss let the small smile she had worn on her face drop as she let out a soft sigh. She should have been more careful with her tongue and she knew it, thank goodness she was quick to react to that blunder. If her sister Winter was here she would have reprimanded her for sure, and she would have received a worse scolding from her Father. The truth was, she had known of something like this before, about a year ago.

Reports from her sister on the front lines spoke of Grimm moving in large packs across the borders of the Four Kingdoms, acting highly aggressive. All of them were young packs, maybe a few years old at most, but they moved with the coordination of far older Grimm, almost as if they were being guided by some unseen hand. Then worse reports came.

Winter told how monstrous creatures unlike anything seen on Remnant before started leading the Grimm into large battles. They wielded strange primal energies unlike anything seen before on Remnant, but worst of all some began to take control of Atlas' own troops, turning brother against brother. Winter had told her that she was forced to kill her entire squad after one of those things turned them into mindless slaves during a mission.

These things threatened to boil over into the Four Kingdoms, who were all unaware of this secret war playing out on their world. Then, it stopped. The Grimm slipped back into old habits again, and the strange creatures were no longer found, either all dead or having lost interest in the Kingdoms borders.

As expected, there were many unanswered questions. How did they organise the Grimm so rapidly? Where did they come from? Where did they go? What were they? The questions only served to further worry Weiss. This attack today, though completely different, was awfully similar to those stories. She wondered deep down if perhaps those things had a part to play in all of this, but she quickly brushed those thoughts aside.

She and the rest of her Family had signed multiple pieces of paperwork by order of the Atlas Military to remain silent. If she spoke a word of it to anyone, they would know, and they would come crashing down on her like a meteor to the earth. She could be prosecuted, expelled, she could lose her inheritance or worse...killed.

Weiss took a deep breath as she pushed all those thoughts out of her head, shaking her head rapidly as she smiled once again. She would think no more of this matter, it was merely a coincidence and nothing more. She straightened her jacket and proceeded to join her friends on the Campus grounds, yet as she walked, something in the sky caught her eye.

A flash of blue light, disappearing almost as quickly as it had appeared. Weiss stared up at the sky once more, to see if the strange light show would continue, but alas it did not. As she continued to stare up at the sky, Weiss let a small genuine smile spread across her face. Who knows, maybe there are some questions that cannot be answered.

 **00000000**

 **Deep Space…**

Not far from where the planet Remnant orbited the Sun, the vast void of the Great Dark began to buzz with energy. For so long, only stars and wayward comets wandered this section of the void, yet soon that would be the case no longer. It started with blue electricity arcing silently in the patch of nothingness. Then it began to build up, almost as if something was attempting to tear through the very fabric of reality. Then, nothing happened as the electricity began to die down into nothingness.

Then without warning, in a brilliant flash of light, six large ships appeared. Three of the ships were identical to one another, their metal hulls a dull cobalt grey colour. A long cylindrical body housed the main components of the ships, including facilities for the crew, engine, and Bridge amongst others. Six wing like prongs hovered around the ship, three of them larger than the others, all of them spinning slowly in a clockwise pattern. And hovering just off the very nose of the vessels were large blue gems, spinning in the opposite direction to the six wings.

Two of the other ships were twice as large, and were a bright golden colour in stark contrast to the other three ships. They looked almost boat like, with multiple ports and openings for fighters to zip in and out of. The ships themselves lacked any weapons, for millions of small drone like fighters among other ships were stationed on board, ready to defend them should they come under attack.

The final ship however, was the largest of them all. Three times the length of the other two golden ships and almost circular in design, its metal hull was the same colour, with a large citadel like structure situated at the top, embedded with blue gems with a large translucent dome like shield covering it.

As the six ships traversed the large void, multiple fighters emerged from the hangars of the two medium sized ships, some of them designed like birds of prey while others were long and sleek looking. The ships quickly dispersed into smaller groups as they began with their mission: scout the area for any hospitable planets.

The Protoss had arrived.

Aboard the Bridge of the Protoss Mothership, an elderly Protoss stood in the centre of the control room, gazing out into the vast vestiges of space. He wore the flowing robes and golden armour that indicated his status as Executor, the many other Protoss on-board saluting him whenever he passed. A number of both Khalai and Nerazim Warriors stood at multiple control panels of the vessel, all of them displaying important information of the vessels functions.

"Executor, we've sent out Phoenix and Scout Fighters across all quadrants of this sector. If they find anything of value, we will know of it." a Zealot reported, glancing towards the Executor as he finished.

"Notify me immediately should they come across anything." the Executor ordered, the Zealot nodding in confirmation before turning back to face his console.

The Executor stepped forward slowly as he continued to scan the blackness of the void before them. It was strange to think that only a year ago, there was a chance this darkness would be all that was left in the Universe. Even the glimmering of these foreign stars would be a faint memory of what once was. The Executor thought back to the End War, where the Dark God Amon corrupted the sacred Khala and with it, every Protoss bound to it.

It was ironic that the Nerazim, those they had once shunned for severing themselves from the Khala, had saved many of their people during the early days of the End War, including Hierarch Artanis, their leader. He had gathered what remained of his people, united the survivors into the Daelaam, and not only freed the Protoss from Amon, but also retook their homeworld of Aiur. Despite his young age, Artanis had proven to be a spectacular leader, personally taking part in the joint Protoss, Terran and Zerg invasion of Ulnar, finally slaying Amon once and for all. And it was on his orders they were here now.

Some time after the first Cities were rebuilt on Aiur, Artanis had sent out multiple vessels from the Golden Armada out into the cosmos. Their mission was to scour the Korprulu Sector and re-establish dominion on their former colonies that were lost to Amon's Hybrid. Executor Velran and his small group of ships had gone one step further.

They had ventured outside the Korprulu Sector, further then any Protoss had gone before with one mission in mind: establish the first Protoss Colony outside the fringes of their Empire. Unfortunately, such a task was easier said then done. They were in uncharted space, all was foreign to them. They inserted random coordinates into their Warp Drive and prayed they didn't hit anything upon Warping in. They had also found very no planets that were hospitable, and so far the same seemed to be the case for this quadrant.

Their search had been going on for so long that they were starting to run low on fuel, having only enough to make a single Warp jump back to Aiur. This was to be their last search, which would also determine the future for the crew. If they found a habitable planet, they would proceed to set up an outpost on the world and focus all efforts on contacting Aiur. If not, they would simply use the rest of their power to warp back to Aiur and report their failure in their mission.

The sliding doors separating the Bridge from the rest of the vessel suddenly opened, causing Executor Velran to swiftly turn towards it, alongside a few of the Warriors stationed on the Bridge. In sauntered a slim looking female Protoss of the Nerazim, her skin a deep lavender colouration. She was garbed in a combination of dull Gold Plate Armour, Purple cloth and Zerg Bones, indicating her status as both a Phase Smith and a member of the Zera'tai Clan of Dark Templar. As she drew closer, the Executor turned back to face the vast cosmos before them, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Executor Velran, I've come to inform you that repairs to the Mothership's Khaydarin Crystal network have been completed." the Phase Smith reported, her own hands crossed behind her back as she looked expectantly at the Executor.

"Excellent work Vermina," Executor Velran responded, glancing slightly towards the Phase Smith, now identified as Vermina. "anything else to report?"

"Nothing as of yet Executor, but should the need arise I have finished Armour and Weapon Upgrades to all Cybernetic Units on board." Phase Smith Vermina replied, though she quickly narrowed her ethereal like green eyes when the Executor let out a long sigh. "Is there a problem Executor?"

"I believe that maybe it was a mistake to have ventured so far off our borders." Executor Velran replied, shaking his head slowly. "Perhaps there was a reason the Enclave of old never did stray far from the Korprulu Sector."

"The fact that they were old fools with their heads in the wrong end of their body not reason enough?" Phase Smith Vermina questioned, raising her eyes slightly.

"Watch your tone Vermina, you may be our best Phase Smith, but that is still my history – OUR history – that you're insulting." Executor Velran warned, sending a glare towards the Nerazim.

"YOUR history. You were right the first time." Phase Smith Vermina retorted, chuckling slightly to herself when Velran growled slightly.

"Whatever the reason, they clearly believed the Protoss were not meant to live out of the Sector." Executor Velran stated, slowly walking forward.

"And is that what you believe?" Phase Smith Vermina questioned, tilting her head slightly.

"No," Executor Velran solemnly replied, bowing his head low as he closed his eyes. "But that does not mean I am right."

"What would you have us do?" Phase Smith Vermina asked, gesturing to herself as she spoke.

"Recall all vessels we sent out." Executor Velran replied, looking towards the rest of the crew who obeyed immediately. "Once they return, we will Warp back to Aiur and I will report my failure to Hierarch Artanis personally, and-"

"Executor!" one of the Zealot's on the Bridge interrupted, the urgency in her voice too great to ignore. "One of our Phoenix Fighters has just reported in! They've found a Planet!"

"What?!" Executor Velran murmured, looking towards the Zealot in question. "Show me!"

"Yes Executor, transmitting visuals now." the Zealot responded, quickly typing away at the console before her.

Seconds later, a section of the Bridge shimmered to life as one of their Psi-link Spires connected to the HUD of a Phoenix Pilot's visor, the details of the cockpit showing clearly on video feed. But that wasn't what caught their attention, it was the large green and blue planet before it that caught their attention.

"It seems you were right after all Executor..." Phase Smith Vermina murmured, turning to face the Executor with wide eyes.

"Have you locked the coordinates of this Fighter?" Executor Velran questioned, turning to the Zealot who first brought news of the planets discovery to light.

"Yes Executor, how do you wish to proceed?"

"Prepare for a Warp Jump to their location." Executor Velran ordered, the many members of the Bridge now rushing around to perform the order. "Link with the other vessels of the Fleet and prepare to jump on my mark."

"What about our scouts still out their Executor?" a Nerazim Centurion asked, concern clear in his gravelly voice.

"Relay new orders to all our Fighters, telling them to meet up at our new coordinates." Executor Velran ordered, turning to face the Centurion quickly.

"At once Executor." the Centurion responded, bowing his head as he complied with the new set of orders.

"Khaydarin Crystals of the Carriers and Void Rays are linked." a female Zealot responded, running multiple diagnostics on her console.

"Coordinates are locked, ready to Warp when ready." a male Zealot quickly added, turning to face the Executor.

"Prepare for Warp Jump." Executor Velran ordered, the crew of the Bridge rushing around as the vessel once again hummed to life, blue electricity arcing over the hull of the ship. "It is time we made our home amongst these foreign stars."

And with that, the small expedition fleet Warped out of the void they had occupied, making it once again an empty void…

 **00000000**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of what I hope will be a successful Fic. If you liked it, feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your review and I'll answer them at a later date. I'll update this story on Sundays from now on, today being a small exception.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	2. A Zealot's Charge

**Another day, another chapter. Now a little announcement first. This story is going to be updated every Sunday, however, I'm going to be on Holiday soon so there won't be an update for at least two or three weeks. I should be back on schedule by 10th of July, hopefully before then I can get a chapter out. Now, review response time. Guest; I would suggest the animated short 'Reclamation', it gives a pretty standard account of the Protoss history before Legacy of the Void. Starcraft fan; chapters will be released every Sunday barring the announcement above. Dragonsoul1; I would certainly recommend looking it up, Protoss history and lore is pretty interesting. I would also look up Protoss unit strengths and weaknesses to avoid such questions as 'why can that unit take that out no problem but get wrecked by that unit no problem?'. OutlastTheDark; you're 50% right. It certainly strikes me as something the Atlas Military would do, especially to keep things quiet. Also, Protoss don't have time for crude language I believe. And finally Torham; well, that would be telling now wouldn't it. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 2- A Zealot's Charge**

Executor Velran braced himself as the Mothership travelled through Warp Space. The once golden Bridge was now lit up by blue lights of every shade; Cobalt, Navy, Sky and Cyan being but just a few. Almost as quickly as the Jump had begun, it ended. The Mothership shuddered to a stop as it slipped back into reality, alongside the Carriers and Void Ray's that had accompanied them. Already their scanners beeped to life as the Phoenix fighters and Scouts converged on them, buzzing around them like a flock of birds might avoid a predator.

"All systems are still functioning, Warp successful." a Zealot confirmed as he read the readout before him.

"Executor, planetary body coming into view." a Centurion stated, turning to face the Executor quickly.

Executor Velran slowly stepped forward towards the main view port, a large and bright light illuminating his face. When he saw the sight before him, he would have gasped if he could. A large planet, almost similar in appearance to Aiur itself, was before him. A crystal blue sea covered most of the planet, with large patches of land ranging from desert brown to forest green focused mainly on a single point, forming a single continent with large islands of every size around it. The land masses themselves were oddly shaped, baring some resemblance to the mythical creatures the Terran's referred to as 'Dragons'. Despite this though, it was the first planet they had come across that showed any promise of supporting life. Now they needed to make sure that hypothesis was correct.

"Scan the planet for any gases in its atmosphere, I want to ensure that are people will not be immediately killed upon setting foot on the earth." Executor Velran ordered, receiving many nods of confirmation.

Contrary to popular Terran belief, the Protoss did in fact need to breath like any other race. Whilst they had no orifices whatsoever and could survive purely on light alone, they could still inhale air and gases through their skin, albeit at a molecular level. One way or another, too much exposure to a toxic gas would kill them. Not only that, but should the Daelaam continue diplomatic negotiations with the Terran Dominion, this potential Colony might be visited by Terran diplomats, and it would be beneficial for all if they didn't drop dead upon landing.

"Scan complete." a Zealot stated, turning to face the Executor. "Atmosphere composed of; 71% Nitrogen, 28% Oxygen and 1% of unknown gases."

"Cleaner then most Terran worlds then." Phase Smith Vermina stated, causing Executor Velran to turn around quickly.

He'd been so focused on the planet he had nearly forgotten about the Nerazim Phase Smith. Despite his past dislike for the Dark Templar, he would always respect their ability to sneak up on anyone.

"And if we can survive on them, we can most certainly survive on this world." Phase Smith Vermina finished, Executor Velran nodding in agreement.

Still, one thing concerned him about this planet. They could survive on this planet, which meant it could most likely support life. His concern; what if life already inhabited the planet?

"Scan the planet for any indigenous life forms, no matter how primitive they may be." Executor Velran ordered, causing the crew of the Bridge to perform the orders rapidly.

"Executor?" Phase Smith Vermina asked, confusion clear in her voice. "Forgive me for asking, but why the concern for any intelligent life? I see no home-fleet protecting the planet."

"That may be so, but I have seen a lifetime of war. I would prefer to not become one who starts them." Executor Velran replied, clasping his hands behind his back. "Besides, if they prove hostile, it would be beneficial for us to know their strengths and weaknesses, would it not?"

"I knew there was a bit of Nerazim in you..." Phase Smith Vermina stated smugly, her eyes portraying what was most likely an attempt at a grin.

"Executor, scan complete." a Centurion interrupted, causing the Executor to stride towards the Nerazim Warrior. "Scans show the planet is inhabited by multiple local fauna and at least three dominant species."

Executor Velran balled his fists until it felt like the knuckles would pierce his skin at any given moment. As he had feared, yet the Centurion looked as if he had more to say on the matter.

"Scans show that two of the dominant species share similar DNA traits to Terran's, though with major differences." the Centurion continued, shifting his gaze slightly to the Executor. "Third species is a...unknown. Further scans will have to continue to gain any valuable data."

"How spread out are these species?" Executor Velran questioned, shrugging his shoulders slightly. Perhaps they could completely bypass the inhabitants for a while, though it was a faint hope of course.

"The unknown species dominate most of the planet, with the other two species clustered into four major settlements." the Centurion stated, immediately noticing the Executor's displeasure.

The news was getting worse each time he asked. For all he knew the unknown species could be the most advanced of the three, and any strike against them could invoke the wrath of the species as a whole, or perhaps even the whole planet.

"What about the other two species? You said they shared similar DNA structure to our Terran allies."

"Indeed, though with major differences." the Centurion confirmed. "One is far closer to the Terran's than the other, though both races are nowhere near as broad as the Terran's in terms of muscle mass and Psionic potential is far more common in both races then it is in Terran's."

"Psionic potential?" Executor Velran murmured, his eyes narrowed in deep thought.

All Protoss had a deep Psionic connection to one another, and could also 'connect' to lesser races to an extent. In Terran's though, it was far less common, almost rare in fact. All Terran's with Psionic potential were quickly conscripted into the Dominion Military and were made into Ghost's, lethal assassin's with a broad range of abilities.

"Indeed. To what extent it is unknown, they may not even know they have one." the Centurion confirmed.

"Executor, we're picking up a large fluctuation of power resonating from the planet." a Zealot stated, causing Executor Velran to leave the Centurion as he raced to the Zealot's side.

"On what level?" Executor Velran asked, his gaze set on the planet before them.

"Unlike anything we've seen in the Korprulu Sector." the Zealot replied, her voice filled with both awe and fear. "It's coming off of both the planets surface and deep within the earth all the way to its core."

"A resource perhaps?" Phase Smith Vermina suggested, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "On the same level of both Mineral Crystals and Vespene Gas?"

"Readouts are similar in nature, yes." the Zealot confirmed, nodding her head subtly.

"It would be beneficial for us if we were to get a sample of this alien resource, see if it can be incorporated into our own technology." Phase Smith Vermina stated, turning to the Executor for confirmation.

"Indeed it would..." Executor Velran murmured, looking up to the Zealot that had notified him. "Can you pinpoint an area of this resource?"

"Unfortunately most spots are already claimed by the inhabitants." the Zealot murmured, her eyes narrowed as she scanned for an unclaimed patch of land. "But there is a small cluster as of yet untouched by the locals. Bringing up visual now."

As soon as the Zealot finished her sentence, a section of the bridge shimmered into that of a birds eye view of the planet, highlighting a small section of an emerald green forest.

"That is...extremely close to one of the Terran structures..." Executor Velran murmured, his eyes narrowed cautiously. True to his statement, on the border of the forest was a large structure of some form, larger then a Protoss Nexus to say the least.

"Scans indicate that the Terran populace is purely designated to that structure." the Centurion who had first informed him of life on the planet stated, turning to the Executor. "And the unknown species is scattered in the area."

"That offers me some comfort admittedly..." Executor Velran muttered under his breath.

The crew all looked at him expectantly, awaiting any orders. Would they prepare for a Warp Jump back to Aiur? Or would they venture into the unknown, and go down in history as the first Protoss to establish a stronghold outside the Korprulu Sector? After what felt like hours of silence and uncertainty, Executor Velran finally spoke.

"Send out a Warp Prism to that section of the planet immediately. Prepare a Warp Gate to connect as soon as it touches land." Executor Velran ordered. The crew of the Bridge responded immediately, rushing around to carry out the orders.

"With your permission, I shall return to the Forge." Phase Smith Vermina stated, bowing lowly to Executor Velran as she turned to walk away.

Executor Velran watched as the Phase Smith left the Bridge, returning back to her duties in the Forge. He turned swiftly towards the Centurion who had notified him of life on the planet and simply nodded towards him. The Centurion seemingly understood, returning the gesture to the Executor. If any more information was gained on the species by whatever means, they would all know.

He turned swiftly towards the doors of the Bridge, the two Templar guarding the entrance quickly kneeling as he approached. The doors opened seconds later, Executor Velran stepping through them as they swiftly closed behind him. In the corridors of the ship the Aiur Zealots, Nerazim, robotic Purifiers and those formerly of the Tal'darim wandered, some with haste others without. Only a few would no doubt be aware of what they had found, the majority were most likely oblivious to their discovery. He joined the thronging crowds of Warriors and Craftsman, only one thought on his mind. If they were going to harvest this strange resource, they would need a Probe. And a Probe would need protecting.

 **00000000**

Alaris ducked beneath the swing of the Psi Axe before leaning back from the counter swing. He steadied his heartbeat as he then parried an overhead swing, forcing the weapon to the side before delivering a kick to his opponent, their shields flickering slightly as they staggered back. He had scored the first hit, now he just needed to finish it.

As he stepped forward to continue his assault, his opponent sprang back into action, spinning forward whilst swinging his Psi Axe in an upward arc twice. The first blow he dodged, but he was struck by the second, causing him to stagger back, nearly exiting the perimeter of the small arena they stood in.

Around the pair, Templar from all walks of life watched on with varying degrees of interest. It was common practice for the Templar to practice combat during long periods of drought. It was considered good practice to stay in shape for when combat did finally arrive. He had seen many experienced Templar get cut down because they had become lax in the combat department. Other Templar also trained around them, honing their own skills or being taught by experienced veterans. At this current moment, he was doing both.

"Remember, a true Warrior knows when to strike." his opponent, Praetor Thraos, instructed. "The best offence is a good defence."

"Yes Praetor." Alaris responded, holding his Psi Blades close to his chest, the energy from the weapons flaring out when they connected.

Then without warning, Thraos charged, the leg enhancements in his power suit adding to his already remarkable speed. Were it not for his own leg enhancements, the blow would have hit him and drained his shields immediately. He rolled to the left as Thraos' Psi Axe smashed into the ground, shattering the floor where he had stood. The readout inside his helmet showed his shields had only been slightly damaged by the first strike, far less then he had expected.

As Thraos attempted to pull the Psi Axe free from the ground, Alaris saw his time to strike. He charged forward, channelling all his might and fury into finishing off his opponent. By the time Thraos had pulled his weapon free, it was already too late. He struck at him, blow after blow, draining his shields rapidly. It wasn't long until his shields had reached a critical level, the older Protoss seemingly having become tired from the repetitive strikes.

Alaris stepped forward, ready to swing both Psi Blades in a forward arc and deal the finishing blow. He swung forward, the Blades once again flaring with energy as they connected. Yet as they reached the apex of the blow, Thraos leaned back, the tips of the Psi Blades passing by harmlessly. Alaris' eyes widened at this as he realised his folly; in his haste to end the fight, he had left himself open.

Thraos immediately took advantage of this, swinging his Psi Axe in an upward arc, hitting Alaris in the head, causing him to stagger back rapidly. Were it not for the helmet that covered his face, it would have done more then just drain his shields, not that it mattered. Thraos pushed his advantage, swinging his Psi Axe in rapid succession, hitting Alaris from all sides. Soon, it was his own shields that were critical, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He staggered back at the final blow, his body drained of all energy as he struggled to even stand. Thraos charged him, leaping into the air and landing on his chest, knocking him to the ground. Before Alaris could even register what had happened, he felt the Psi Axe slam into his chest, shattering his shields instantly. He'd lost...again.

"You have improved remarkably, but you still have much to learn." Thraos chuckled, quickly stepping off of Alaris and deactivating his Psi Axe before holding out his hand for Alaris.

Alaris sighed audibly as he deactivated his own Psi Blades and accepted his hand, the Praetor helping him up onto his feet. Those that had stopped to watch all had varying expressions on their faces. A group of Aiur Zealots applauded him slowly, some out of pity whilst others congratulated him, saying it was a good fight. A group of Nerazim, seemingly disinterested in the whole affair, quickly left when it became clear the Praetor would win. It was impossible to read the expressions of the Purifier's, their robotic faces set in a permanent neutral stare. A pair of former Tal'darim Zealots chuckled to themselves at Alaris' failure, their black armour, ash white skin and red eyes a stark contrast to the gold armour, blue-grey skin and blue eyes of the Khalai.

Alaris trudged forward out of the small sparring ring, which was immediately filled by another pair of combatants wishing to spar. Alaris closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief as his feet touched the sammuro roots that carpeted the floor. They were specially laid out in the Templar's quarters, so that those passing by did not disturb the Warriors as they either meditated or exercised. Alaris also found it helped soothe his mind, which he certainly needed to do now.

"Next time, press your advantage only when you are sure your opponent cannot attack." Thraos stated, interrupting Alaris' thoughts. "Otherwise you will end up like that...again."

"Of course, Praetor. I will do better next time." Alaris replied, nodding subtly at the Praetor, who sighed as he shook his head.

"You said that the last time." Thraos stated, his eyes narrowed in obvious disappointment. "Sometimes I wonder if that helmet of yours hinders your thoughts."

Alaris sighed in response, looking to the ground as he shook his own head. At times, he honestly thought that the Praetor knew he would never improve on his skills. All that he had taught him was drilled into him relentlessly, and he would practice for hours upon hours and still the Praetor would scrutinise him. Thraos seemed to notice the downcast look in his students eyes, and reassuringly squeezed his shoulder.

"It is not your fault. You are simply young. Your youth makes you brash, and thus do not think before you act." Thraos explained, before planting his free hand on his chest. "I was once like you, young and impulsive. It will become easier as you get older and wiser, for we are _Shel'na Kryhas_ , Those Who Endure."

Alaris gazed up at Praetor Thraos, his eyes offering comfort and guidance. He was right, he was merely young. And whilst a brash attitude is what helped Hierarch Artanis free the Protoss from Amon's influence, it did not always go so smoothly.

"Thank you, Praetor. For everything." Alaris murmured, turning to face the Praetor and noticed the pride in his eyes. " _Uhn dara ma'nakai._ "

" _Uhn dara ma'nakai._ " Thraos repeated, bowing his head low. "Come, it is time we meditated."

"Yes Praetor." Alaris nodded, quickly following the elder Protoss through the halls.

As the pair moved forward, Thraos suddenly froze as his eyes went wide, quickly dropping to his knees in respect. Alaris was quick to follow his gaze, and quickly followed suite, dropping to his knees and lowering his head. Before them was Executor Velran, Commander of the Expedition Fleet from Aiur. He rarely left the Bridge of the ship, meaning this was important.

" _En Taro Adun, Executor._ " Thraos quickly spoke, looking up to meet the Executor who had stopped before them. " _Nas beru uhn'adarr?_ "

"Rise Praetor," Executor Velran commanded, to which the Praetor did without question. Alaris still knelt on the ground, knowing full well he had not been granted permission to stand. "I need you to gather a small group of your Warriors and meet me in the Landing Bay. There is work to be done."

"By your will Executor." Thraos stated, holding a clenched fist to his chest.

The Executor nodded before turning around to leave, many more Zealot's and Templar kneeling as he passed. Once he was out of sight, Alaris saw it fit to rise, slowly standing up as he gazed to his teacher.

"What in the name of Khas was that about?" Alaris murmured, turning to his teacher for an answer.

"I do not know..." Thraos replied, turning to face his pupil. "But I feel as though we will soon find out."

 **00000000**

 **And done. That my friends, is going to be the main Protoss character in this fic, Alaris. Like him? Don't like him? Tell me why in reviews. The main reason I didn't put translations for the Khalani is because not all words have been translated so I didn't want to have some phrases translated perfectly whilst others weren't. Tell me if you would like a translation and if I can I will translate it for you. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	3. First Contact

**I'm back bitches! Enjoyed my holiday (what little I could get out of it, stupid weather) and now I'm back! First, review responses. Dragonsoul1; glad you liked him, the one thing I didn't want to do was make a 'Gary Stu'. OutlastTheDark; that stuff is easily researched though right?...right? Well, pretty sure you would be as bulky as Arnold Schwarzenegger if you had to wear CMC Power Armour nearly all the time. Glad you liked him, and if you liked the fight scene well, this chapter might be right up your alley… Now, on with the show!**

 _ **Before we begin, I would just like to take this opportunity to remember those who died during the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.**_

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 3- First Contact**

Alaris walked briskly through the corridors of the Mothership, the blue lights flashing slowly as they strode through them. He gazed upon the Warriors accompanying he and Thraos, all of them experienced Templar. Only Zealot's were accompanying them, a tactical choice on Thraos' part. They quickly made their way to the Landing Bay, where a contingent of Phoenix Fighters and other craft were stationed. Protoss of all walks of life wandered through the Hangar, the many Warriors that made up the Templar patrolled the walkways whilst Engineers and Phase Smiths performed maintenance on stationed Fighters and inactive Gateway's. The small squadron came to a halt at one of the Gateway's, a Protoss technician dialling commands into the structure whilst in front of it stood Executor Velran, a Protoss Probe floating behind him.

" _En Taro Tassadar, Praetor."_ Executor Velran began, holding his hand up in a greeting gesture, which was returned. "I am glad you could make it."

"I gathered as many Warriors as I could, Executor." Thraos stated, gesturing to those stood behind him. "If I may, why do you require our presence?"

Alaris studied the Executor closely as he turned and took a few steps towards the Hangar's main port before stopping. He found it strange that he did not levitate like others of his ranking. Whilst their separation from the Khala made it more difficult to channel Psionic Energy as they once did, it was still possible. In fact it was extremely common to see High Templar and others of higher ranking levitate rather then walk, yet the Executor did not. Still, when walking he could at least get a read on his feelings in a sense. The way he strode now was one of confidence...and slight wariness.

"I do not know if it has come to your attention or not yet," Executor Velran stated, turning around to face the small contingent of Zealot's before him. "but recently we have come into contact with a planetary body. One capable of supporting life."

Alaris nearly did a double take there and then. Could it really be possible that they had found a planet that supports life? They knew the Terran's originally originated from a planet known as 'Earth', but the Protoss had never found life outside the Korprulu Sector. He gazed at his compatriots, and he didn't need the Khala to tell him what they were feeling, as it was written clearly on their faces. Surprise, shock and joy amongst many more. His helmet obscured his own facial expression, but it didn't hide his emotions.

"Can it be Executor? Are you certain?" Thraos asked, his eyes wide in shock. He sounded wary, almost as if the news was too good to be true.

"Yes noble Praetor, our scans indicate that we have indeed found a planet that shows promise of supporting life." Executor Velran confirmed, before turning back to the assembled Zealot's. "And it is for that reason that I have gathered you here today."

"What do you require of us?" Praetor Thraos questioned, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he spoke.

"Our scans have detected a vast amount of energy similar to the Mineral Crystals and Vespene Gas of the Korprulu Sector." Executor Velran answered, bringing up a small holographic map of the area in question. "It is your mission to guide this Probe to the section of forest so that it may harvest the source of energy and bring it back on board for sampling."

As the Executor spoke, the Probe behind him hovered forward, making soft beeping noises as it moved.

"We have a Pylon already on the surface?" Thraos asked, gesturing to the Gateway before them which the technician worked tirelessly on.

"No, but one of our Warp Prisms has already been stationed there, which we are attempting to connect to right now." Executor Velran replied, quickly gesturing to the technician behind him.

Almost immediately as he did so, the Gateway lit up and began to hum loudly as the technician quickly stood back from the structure, nodding in confirmation to the Executor.

"Let us not waste another minute, we shall not fail you Executor." Thraos bellowed as the Gateway activated, activating his Psi Axe as Alaris and the other Zealot's activated their Psi Blades.

"As I knew you would." Executor Velran nodded, quickly turning as the Gateway continued to hum loudly. "There is one more thing you should know. This planet is already occupied by other species. Avoid any sort of confrontation with them if possible, and engage only if they prove to be a direct threat to you or the Probe."

"Understood Executor." Thraos nodded, his body becoming tense as a blue light began to surround him.

" _Adun Toridas, Praetor."_ Executor Velran stated, holding a clenched fist to his chest as he bowed his head.

Alaris watched as Thraos and the other Zealot's were engulfed by a bright blue glow that quickly surrounded his own form. He took a deep breath as the Warp energy shifted around his form, engulfing his body. For a few seconds, he felt weightless and his vision was filled with a bright white light. The sensation quickly ended as his vision began to darken and the weight returned to his body.

No longer was he aboard the Mothership that had been home for so long, no longer did he feel the cold metal floors beneath his feet or hear the clanking of metal. Now he was in a large open forest, with trees stretching high above him as the leaves rustled softly in the breeze. He felt soft earth beneath his feet, the grass tickling as it slipped through the gaps of his foot ware. A whole manner of alien lifeforms chirped loudly around him, though it was not a nuisance, but almost musical. He took a quick glance to the sky, and saw it lit up by alien constellations and a shattered moon, haunting yet beautiful.

"Move forward Templar." Praetor Thraos ordered, snapping Alaris out of his observations. He turned quickly to see his fellow Zealot's trudging forward, each one watching their surroundings in fascination. "Let us hurry quickly, before we attract unwanted attention."

 **00000000**

 **Schnee Dust Company Factory, unknown location...**

"Hey boss, you should come take a look at this."

The foreman turned quickly as he approached one of the workers stationed at a console, which was showing a scan of the area around the factory.

"Yeah? What is it?" the foreman murmured, leaning onto the desk with hand whilst the other pulled the back of his shirt down slightly.

"We're getting weird readings in one of the sectors, same place that strange object landed." the worker stated, tapping the screen lightly as he spoke.

The foreman leaned closer in response, narrowing his eyes as he analysed the readings on the screen before him.

"Think it could be a Dust formation sprouting there?" the foreman enquired, turning to face the worker expectantly.

"Can't be, readouts are like nothing we've ever seen before." the worker responded, though he quickly narrowed his eyes as he spotted something else. "Contacts just appeared on our radar boss!"

"Where about? Are they headed this way?" the foreman asked, quickly standing up straight as he reached for the pistol holstered to his belt.

"No, but they look to be setting a course for that deposit we spotted a few days ago." the worker clarified, causing the foreman to let out an exasperated sigh.

"Shit, what we got? Grimm or White Fang?"

"Unsure, but with recent sightings I'd say the former." the worker responded, turning to face the foreman expectantly. "What do you want to do sir?"

"Send out a few of our security detail, maybe chuck a few Knights in there as well." the foreman responded, earning a quick nod from the worker in response. "This'll all be over in a few hours..."

 **00000000**

Alaris trudged onwards alongside his fellow Templar, his curiosity of this new planet now replaced by a steadfast vigilance. The Zealot's formed a protective ring around the Probe, which continued on its path towards the energy source. Praetor Thraos led the small ring, standing at the front as he warily looked around. It didn't take many guesses to know he was watching for hostiles, already he held his Psi Axe up to defend at any would be attacker.

As the group continued onwards, Thraos suddenly signalled for a halt, his fist clenched tightly. The Zealot's froze immediately, as did the Probe, as they all turned in a defensive formation. They all knew what that signal meant, they were being watched. Alaris felt his body tense up as he lowered his stance, his Psi Blades crackling as they scorched the earth slightly.

Then they leapt out of the shadows, creatures coated in black fur with bone like spikes sprouting from their arms, their skull visible and covered in red markings. The first one leapt towards Thraos, its arms stretched out as its maw opened wide. Before the creature could get any closer, Thraos swung his Psi Axe down, quickly sending the creature to the earth, the weapon embedded in its head.

As Thraos pulled the weapon free with a sickening squelch, more of the creatures bounded forward out of the tree line, each one as hideous as the last. The Zealot's all let out a primal battle cry as they charged forward, their Psi Blades cutting through the beasts limbs like a hot knife through butter. Alaris stayed his ground, knowing full well that the Probe was too important to lose.

Alaris could only watch as his brethren cut through the beasts with lethal grace. He watched as a Zealot spun beneath the swing of one of the creatures before raising a Psi Blade into the air, piercing the stomach of another mid leap. He watched another Zealot pin a creature down with one of his Psi Blades, before piercing its neck with the second.

"Stand firm Templar, we shall not falter!" Praetor Thraos bellowed as one of the creatures leapt at him. He spun around the blow and wrapped his arm around its neck, clamping its jaw shut with his hand before twisting it anti-clockwise, snapping its neck.

Alaris turned quickly at the sound of a heavy thud, and saw one of the creatures had knocked one of the Zealot's to the ground. It then began to thrash wildly at the downed Zealot, their shields flickering with each hit. It didn't take long though for the shields to shatter, and its long claws soon began to rake against their armour. Upon realising it was inflicting little to no damage against the armour, it soon began to strike at the arms and face, which remained unprotected. The Zealot soon began to scream in pain as the claws bit deep, rending through flesh like scissors through paper.

Then as soon as it started, their body began to glow as the Crystal Matrices in their armour lit up to life. Then their body disappeared in a flash of blue light, causing the creature to land softly on the ground where the Zealot had laid, the creature tilting its head in confusion as it stared at the ground. This was more then enough for a second Zealot to charge the creature, kicking it in the jaw before plunging a Psi Blade into its chest.

Alaris then turned as he heard growling to his left, and saw one of the creatures stalked towards him, its teeth bared as it snarled loudly. Alaris glared at the beast as he lowered his stance, inviting his enemy to attack him. The creature responded in kind, roaring loudly as it lunged forward. Alaris ducked beneath the leap, spinning around as the creature landed and turned to face him. It snarled once again as it jumped forward, though Alaris greeted it with a Psi Blade to the chest. The creature howled in pain as it slumped forward, colliding into Alaris and sending both into the ground.

Alaris grunted in discomfort as he slowly moved the carcass off of him, only for another one of the beasts to charge forward. He would never get up in time, that much he knew, but he wasn't completely defenceless. He had used this trick on Zerglings before, hopefully it would work just as well on this creature. The creature roared triumphantly as it leapt towards him, intent on ripping him limb from limb. Instead, Alaris clamped his legs together and held his feet out in front of him. The creature collided with his feet immediately, causing it to howl in confusion as he then rolled backwards, Alaris landing on his stomach as the creature went flying over his head.

He turned rapidly as the creature landed, the beast thrashing around on the floor and throwing up dirt as it attempted to correct itself, only to let out a gurgled shriek as Alaris charged and pierced its throat with a Psi Blade. The creature soon stopped thrashing as it laid dead on the floor, Alaris grunting loudly as pulled the weapon free. He turned to watch as his fellow Zealot's cut down the remaining creatures with relative ease. He watched as the last one charged Thraos, only for the Praetor to duck beneath the blow and restrain it by the neck with the grip of his Psi Axe. A quick tug and the creature went limp, its body slumping to the ground as the Praetor released it.

"These fiends...fight with the same ferocity as the Zerg!" one of the Zealot's panted, rolling his shoulders back slightly.

"True, but I would choose one of these things any day over a Zerg Hive." another commented, causing the remaining Zealot's to nod in agreement.

"Status report, now." Thraos demanded, still watching warily for any sign of the creatures.

"Isran and Helyar went down fighting, they were recalled before they could be killed." a Zealot reported, his Psi Blades crackling loudly.

Alaris shook his head slowly at this, they'd been a little over an hour on this planet and already they were down two Warriors, and good ones at that. He prayed that they could recover from the damage, or at the very least become either Immortals or Dragoons. Thraos nodded in response to the report and quickly brought his wrist up to his face and typed a few commands into the gauntlet. Seconds later, a holographic screen lit up above his wrist, displaying the Executor's face on it.

" _Praetor, we just received two wounded Templar in our medical bay, what happened? They look as though they were attacked by the Zerg!"_ Executor Velran stated, the shock on his face clear as day.

"We were attacked by savage beasts as we travelled." Thraos explained, the Executor's eyes narrowing as he spoke. "The Probe is still intact, though we are now down two Warriors."

" _Savage beasts you say?"_ Executor Velran murmured, turning away slightly before turning back to the screen. _"Were they coated in black fur with bone white skulls?"_

"Y-yes Executor, how did you know?" Thraos asked, his eyes wide in shock. The Praetor wasn't the only one in shock, Alaris himself and the other Zealot's all looked at one another in confusion.

" _I thought as much. Ilaris, fill them in."_ Executor Velran instructed, causing the holographic screen to cut out rapidly as it changed focus.

On the screen now was a middle aged Protoss, their skin tinted a faint blue, indicating them as an Aiur Zealot. Though they could see little armour, they saw he was wearing a golden headset with a blue holographic optic covering their right eye.

" _Greetings Templar, I am First Technician Ilaris. And it seems you've come into contact with the so called 'Grimm'."_ the Protoss, now identified as Ilaris, stated.

"The Grimm?" Thraos questioned, looking towards his fellow Zealot's in slight confusion.

" _Yes, creatures of pure chaos and darkness, and unfortunately for us they dominate this entire planet."_ Ilaris informed them, pausing to let the information sink in before continuing. _"I've been analysing the footage from your brawl. My best guess is that what you fought here were Beowolves, considered to be 'tier one' Grimm so to speak."_

"How do you know all of this?" Alaris enquired, causing all to turn and face him. "We've only just arrived on this planet with little to no knowledge of it, and you sound as though you're reading from a documented bestiary."

" _I've been scanning the planets data from orbit, attempting to gain as much intel as possible on its inhabitants."_ Ilaris answered, though he sounded dreadfully disappointed by the news. _"They have such a wide range of technological advancements, yet their security is abysmal. Even a Terran technician could bypass it in less then an hour."_

"I see..." Thraos murmured, looking around warily again at the surrounding forest. "Anything else of interest?"

" _As of yet nothing, though if you wish to reach that Mineral deposit and obtain a sample I would hurry."_ Ilaris warned as he turned towards what Alaris assumed was his screen. _"My scans are indicating that another group is headed towards the deposit, and they're picking up speed."_

"Then let us not waste another second." Thraos commented, turning towards the gathered Zealot's. "Press forward Templar! Move as if Adun himself were watching!"

The remaining Zealot's, Alaris amongst them, nodded in response as they moved forward, once again encircling the Probe which beeped loudly as it sped forward.

" _I will feed you as much intel as I can. Good luck Templar, and may Adun hide you."_ Ilaris stated, before the screen flickered out of existence.

 **00000000**

 **Forever Falls, unknown location…**

As darkness swept over the world, something stirred within one of the dank caves in the Forever Falls. None would approach the cave, not even the Grimm nor experienced Huntsman and Huntresses. Only fools ventured within, and they never came back. Shielded within the cave from the night sky laid a sole creature, with only the bones of the dead to give it company. For months it had slept, hidden away from unfriendly eyes and ears. Then suddenly, its eyes shot open as a loud hiss escaped its maw, and it knew what it had waited for had arrived at last.

The First-born were coming.

 **00000000**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, because now I'm back on schedule. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed.. Any questions? Either leave in your reviews or PM me.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	4. Hostiles Detected

**Another day, another chapter. Have to admit, this one was pretty hard to write up, but I think I got it in the end. Now, review response time. Dragonsoul1; I won't say what that thing was, as it will spoil the reveal when it actually gets to that point. Cipher96; but...I didn't describe it? How can it look Amon-ish when it hasn't been described? I'm so confused, I'm gonna go lie down for a bit. And OutlastTheDark; Alaris is not a red shirt, he is a Akhundelar! The two are very similar things! You have a tendency of getting games wrong, don't you? Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 4- Hostiles Detected**

 _Winter grunted as she slumped up against a stone wall, clutching her side as a Beowolf impaled itself on her Rapier. She kicked the Grimm of the blade as a Creep charged her, thrusting her weapon into its open maw where it chocked to death on the metal, coughing up blood as it thrashed around wildly. They had been ambushed by a horde of Grimm, her and her squad had been sent in to answer a distress beacon sent out by one of their Forward Command Posts, only for it to be a trap._

 _Winter let out a pained hiss as she moved forward, the gloved hand clutching her side stained with blood. She turned as an Ursa charged her, its fanged maw filled with dozens of blood-stained teeth, some of it old, some of it fresh. Winter fell to the ground as she raised her weapon, her strength slowly ebbing away. She could already see it, how the Ursa would tear her limb from limb and no doubt eat her entrails. She gritted her teeth in determination, watching as the Ursa raised a paw to swipe down at her...only for the limb to blown off by a Shotgun Shell._

 _The Ursa roared in pain as it turned to face the new adversary, only to be shot yet again, this time in the head, shattering the mask on its face. Winter turned to where the rounds had come from, and was greeted by the sight of two un helmeted Atlesian Soldiers, one male and the other female. The male ran towards her, quickly offering her a hand._

" _Come on Winter, get up!" he shouted as Winter grabbed hold of the hand, pulling her to her feet._

" _Greene..." Winter murmured, wincing slightly as she spoke. "Status report..."_

" _We're overrun! Steel, Grey and Brown have barricaded themselves in a nearby cave and sent a distress call, me and Violet came to get you." the Soldier, now identified as Greene, stated._

" _What about...the rest of the squad?" Winter asked, her eyes tightening in pain as Greene hooked her arm around his shoulder, supporting the unwounded side of her body._

" _No one else made it, and we won't too if we stay out here any longer!" Greene replied, quickly moving forward with Winter in tow, Violet not far behind._

 _The trio increased their pace as they heard the howls of Beowolves behind them, quickly getting louder with each howl. Winter was still in shock at what Greene had reported. They were a troop of thirty strong Atlesian Soldiers, all of them experienced combat operatives, and now they were down to six. Winter turned as she heard frenzied panting behind her, and was greeted by a pack of Beowolves, saliva dribbling down from their mouths._

 _None of this made any sense to her, the Grimm she was seeing had to be at least a few months old at best, yet they were attacking in a manner impossible for their age. Her train of thought was interrupted as a Beowolf quickly leapt out of the shadows, toppling over Violet and clamping its jaw on her ankle. Violet let out a scream of both pain and fear as she frantically kicked at the Beowolf maiming her, only for the pack that had been chasing them to quickly surround her and tear her apart._

 _Winter couldn't look at the sight, quickly turning around in the direction Greene was taking her, a small cave just big enough for them to squeeze in through, but too small for the Grimm to follow._

" _Come one!" Greene shouted, quickly helping Winter through the small gap. "They're almost here!"_

 _Winter managed to pass through the crevice, landing on her back with a sharp yelp. Greene quickly followed after her, frantically pulling himself through and landing on his side. The arm of a Beowolf burst through the crevice, though that was all that followed. Winter sighed as she heard frenzied howls and roars outside, no doubt hundreds of Grimm waiting for them._

" _Quickly, the others are waiting for us deeper in the cave." Greene stated, helping Winter up and guiding her through the cavern._

 _It was spacious, extremely spacious. Mushrooms and other Fungi lined the walls, giving off a bright blue light that provided them with a natural light source. They quickly found themselves in a large opening, the far side coated in perpetual darkness. In the centre of the opening was a charred fireplace, with three Rifles lying on the ground next to it._

" _They should be here..." Greene whispered as he helped Winter onto the floor, quickly pumping his Shotgun. "Steel, Grey, Brown, you in here?!"_

" _Maybe they went to find some water? We don't know how long we could be here." Winter suggested, though she knew it was a faint hope._

" _I don't like this..." Greene murmured, turning to face Winter. "Stay put, I'm going to go look for them. I'll relay every fifteen minutes through the Radio so you can-"_

" _ALL! SHALL! SUBMIT!"_

 _Both Winter and Greene turned at the sound of the booming voice, Winter standing up and drawing her Rapier. At the ceiling of the cavern, hiding amongst the stalactites, were a set of glowing blue eyes staring blankly at them. Then a creature moved out into the light, revealing its hideous form. It was large, nearly twice the size of an Ursa Major, maybe bigger. Wrinkled purple leather stretched over its skin, while a chitin shell covered vital organs as well as the horned head. Its lower jaw split in two, revealing a maw filled with a thousand shark like teeth. It had six limbs altogether, four clawed arms and two legs that looked similar to a Creeps. Four long tentacles sprouted from its back, each one ending in claw like feelers._

 _The creature shrieked as it launched itself to a wall, landing with a loud thud as its tentacles latched onto the wall, securing it in place. Winter and Greene pointed their weapons at the creature as it observed the two, before turning to the darkness on the other end. Out of the shadows emerged three more Atlesian Soldiers, stood as stiff as a statue. Then in one swift motion, all three drew out Shock Batons, the ends spitting out bolts of electricity._

" _Oblivion awaits all who resist!" the creature hissed, a small orb appearing at its brow. "Now...OBEY!"_

 _The orb imploded with a pulse of energy, staggering both Winter and Greene and causing them to drop their weapons. Winter winced as her head ringed, though it soon was drowned out by Greene screaming, who frantically clutched his head as blood slowly poured out of his ears and nose._

" _It...it hurts so much!" Greene shouted as he clawed at his head, as if inflicting pain on his body would nullify the pain in his mind. "Make it stop!"_

" _Greene! Keep it together!" Winter ordered, quickly picking up her Rapier and pulling out the Roundel hidden in its grip. The Atlesian Soldiers took a step forward as the creatures lower jaw clicked together excitedly._

" _Just-just make it stop! Make the voices stop!" Greene begged, falling down onto his knees as he let out a blood-curdling scream. Then, he went silent, his hands dropping down to his side as he slouched over._

" _Greene? Are you with me?" Winter asked, slowly taking a step back from Greene._

 _Then, he lifted his head up and stood up straight, quickly drawing out his Shock Baton. Then he turned on his heel and faced Winter, who gasped in shock at what she saw. He still looked like the same Greene she knew, the same one she had trained with at Atlas. But his eyes were no longer a verdant green, now they were glassed over, almost as if he was blind. Then, he spoke two words with a voice that was no longer his own._

" _I obey."_

 **00000000**

"Ma'am? Are you all right?"

Winter's eyes shot open immediately, letting out a soft gasp as she sat up. She looked around at her surroundings, letting out a sigh of relief when she realised she was on board her personal Carrier ship, quickly rubbing her brow.

"I'm fine Soldier, just...just a nightmare." Winter whispered, shaking her head slowly. As she stood up from the bench that she had fallen asleep on, she brushed her clothing down before turning to face the Soldier who had awoken her. "What is there to report Soldier?"

"We just received an open distress beacon from a nearby Dust Refinery...one of your Fathers Dust Refineries." the Soldier reported, earning an exasperated sigh from Winter at the mention of her Father. "Should we investigate? It's not far from our location and shouldn't delay us for too long."

"Very well, contact the foreman in charge if you can and notify him off are arrival." Winter ordered, quickly taking her Rapier that was leaned against the wall and quickly sheathed it. "Let's see what this is all about."

 **00000000**

 **Hours Earlier…**

Alaris and the other Zealot's moved with haste to their objective, the Probe dead in the centre of the small ring. Thraos still led the charge, slashing through any tree branches that got in their way. Ilaris kept an open channel with them at all times, informing them of incoming hostiles as well as their distance from the source of power they had detected. According to his data, they should be soon upon the power source, and he had also learned more about the planets other inhabitants.

The first were known as 'Humans' and appeared to be the second most dominant species after the Grimm. Their technology was highly advanced on a similar level to those of Terran's, where they could use weapon's that could shift easily between a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. The other species were known as 'Faunus', and appeared similar to the 'Humans', though they possessed body parts that were more often found on local Fauna such as tails or extra ears, hence the name most likely.

What both species appeared to possess was something known as an 'Aura' and a 'Semblance'. Ilaris hadn't found any concrete data yet on these subjects, but from what he gathered an Aura acted as a biological shield, similar to Protoss Plasma Shields whilst a Semblance was an ability unique to the individual, similar to the Protoss High Templar or Terran Ghosts and Spectres. As Alaris ran, he looked down at his Psi Blades, observing the blue blade as it sputtered and sparked bolts of pure energy. He wondered if they could even pierce this 'Aura', or if the Humans weapons could break their shields and armour but most importantly, would there be a need for it.

" _Templar, energy source is directly ahead. But be warned, the Humans are nearly upon you!"_ Ilaris shouted through their comm channels, snapping Alaris out of his thoughts.

"Understood Ilaris, we see the objective dead ahead. Will keep you posted." Thraos replied as he and the other Zealot's entered a large clearing, a large Crystal deposit directly ahead of them.

"By the Gods...I have never seen anything like it..." one of the Zealot's murmured, stepping forward as he brushed his hand against one of the tips of the Crystal, which refracted the light from his Psi Blade, turning it from green to turquoise.

"Be wary, Brother." Alaris warned, holding his hand out in a stopping motion. "We do not know what exactly this...thing is yet. I would refrain from touching it."

The Zealot backed away immediately as he understood the warning, nodding slightly in recognition of his warning.

"Secure the perimeter." Thraos ordered, his Psi Axe perched on his shoulder. "Protect the Probe while it takes a sample back for-"

" _Templar! Hostiles headed your way! Take cover now!"_ Ilaris' voice suddenly ordered, his voice clearly frantic.

Before Thraos could properly respond, the sound of a Terran engine roaring caught their attention, getting louder by the second. Suddenly, a white coloured Jeep burst out of the tree line, a mounted turret on its back. The driver of the vehicle pushed hard on the breaks as the Jeep skidded to halt, the Protoss scattering immediately...all except Alaris. He had been caught so unaware that he didn't register the vehicle until it was right in front of him, where it collided with him, causing him to fly backwards and onto his back.

Alaris grunted in annoyance as he shook his head, his hand massaging his brow. Electricity arced all over his form as his shields attempted to come back online, which they did shortly afterwards. Alaris glared at the vehicle, the front of it crumpled up where he had been hit, and stood up, still clutching his brow.

The occupants of the Jeep quickly jumped out, only for them to stagger back in surprise at the sight of the Zealot. Alaris admitted, he himself was also surprised. The 'Humans' looked similar to the Terran's, but they were nowhere near as bulky as they were, nor as tall either. The tallest was only just half his own size, maybe slightly bigger.

"What the fuck is that?!" one of them shouted, backing away quickly as Alaris shook his head.

"How the fuck should I know?!" another shouted, his hand slowly going for his Pistol.

"Guys! We got more of them!" the one on the Turret shouted, pointing ahead to where the other Zealot's were slowly emerging.

"Humans!" Thraos bellowed, holding his hands up in a stopping motion, his Psi Axe planted in the ground. "We mean no harm! We are here to simply-"

"Fire! Fire!" one of the Humans shouted, quickly drawing his Pistol as he began to fire at the Protoss, the one on the Turret complying quickly.

Alaris and the other Zealot's scattered immediately, weaving and dodging the bullets as best they could. Alaris lunged for a nearby tree root, panting heavily as he observed his shield levels. His shields had been damaged, that much was sure, but not critically. He breathed a sigh of relief at the news before turning to face the Jeep, which all but one of the Humans had retreated to. A Zealot fell to the ground, grunting in obvious pain as her shields flickered. The Human with the Pistol slowly approached the wounded Zealot, a sick smile on his face.

Alaris let out a primal yell as he charged the Human, his eyes burning as bright as his Psi Blades. He was upon the Human in seconds thanks to the Cybernetic Enhancements in his leg armour, quickly tackling the Human to the ground, knocking the Pistol out of their hand. He then proceeded to repeatedly strike at the Human with his Psi Blades, his roars of fury drowning out the Humans pleas. At first, his Psi Blades did nothing but scorch their clothing, no doubt their Aura protecting the skin from harm. It wasn't long though before the Aura gave way, and his Psi Blades were now cleaving through flesh and bone, the Humans pained screams echoing until he finally stopped, his body still save for the occasional twitch.

Alaris looked up to see the wounded Zealot had managed to drag herself to two others taking cover behind a rock, alongside the Probe which used the Protoss as a shield. Alaris turned rapidly as the remaining two Humans panicked, quickly starting up the Jeep and driving away. Still in his frenzy, Alaris charged after them, ignoring the voice of the Praetor. He charged after the Jeep, the Humans occupying it panicking wildly.

He leapt forward quickly, swinging his Psi Blades at the back of the vehicle, quickly slicing through the wheels. Alaris rolled forward as he watched the Jeep swerve off course before flipping over and crashing. Alaris charged forward, his Psi Blades crackling wildly as he approached the Jeep. One of the Humans managed to pull himself out of the Jeep, limping forward quickly away from the wreckage.

"Wait! Please don't leave me!" the other Human pleaded, his legs trapped beneath one of the seats.

Alaris slowed his approach as the Human spotted him, his attempts of escaping becoming more frantic in response.

"Please! Please don't kill me!" the Human begged, holding his hand out imploringly.

" _Zerashk Gulida!_ " Alaris hissed, raising his Psi Blade up and plunging it into the Humans neck, the look of terror still etched on his face.

Alaris looked up to where the other Human had ran, and he could see him in the distance, getting smaller and smaller. He heard the cries of Praetor Thraos and the other Zealot's behind him, attempting to catch up to him. Alaris pushed on, his mind still filled with rage at the Humans impudence. They had meant no harm, even after the Humans had struck him, yet they quickly sought to spill their blood, and no doubt would have if not for his actions.

He was getting closer to the Human, who was either oblivious to how close he was or didn't care. His quarry burst through the bushes, quickly leaving his sight, though Alaris didn't care. He burst through the brushes, the Human nearly with his grasp. He quickly grabbed them by their scalp, pulling them back as he pierced them in the chest with his Psi Blade, blood spurting from their mouth. He then swung upwards with the blade, splitting the chest in two and causing his blood to bubble and boil as flesh cauterized.

At last, Alaris' fury died down, his eyes no longer burning. He looked down at his fallen prey, and immediately felt sick to his stomach. He looked at his hands, stained with blood as he heard the other Zealot's and Praetor Thraos approach behind him.

"Alaris! What have you done?!" Thraos demanded, his voice filled with fury.

As Alaris looked up, he froze. The other Zealot's and Thraos followed his gaze, and became lost for words. Before them was a large factory of some form, smoke puffing out of large chimney stacks as search lights scanned the land around, and it wasn't long before they fell upon the Protoss.

"Hostiles Detected!" a loud voice boomed as sirens sounded all around as the gargantuan doors opened and a number of Humans armed with Pistols and Rifles ran out towards them.

"Templar, prepare for combat!" Thraos ordered as he activated his Psi Axe, followed swiftly by the sounds of multiple Psi Blades activating. " _Ki nala atum!_ "

 **00000000**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and sorry if that dream segment took up too much space. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	5. Na Vazeal

**Another day, another chapter. Well, no new announcements today so let's get right to review responses shall we? Dragonsoul1; that's one way of putting it. Akshka; thanks for the compliment. Edboy4926; thanks for the reviews pal, keep them coming. OutlastTheDark; you know, your reviews never fail to make me chuckle. And Mind Control? I would, like, totally be responsible with that power...yes. Chase5; thanks for the compliment. And Starspawn07; thanks for the compliment on the dream, I would definitely recommend that StarCraft short story 'Sector Six' for Hybrid related fear. And I was aware of the whole 'Korprulu Sector' thing, just so you know, don't know why I did it the way I did. As for the second human, a good chunk of the Aura would have been taken out when the Jeep crashed. I'm also trying to portray that Protoss Psionics are powerful to Aura and vice versa with Dust so that their threat seems more dangerous to the people of Remnant whilst also giving them some form of advantage. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 5- Na Vazeal**

Chaos.

That was the one word that Alaris could use to describe his current situation. The Human forces outnumbered them four to one, an advantage they were clearly using to their advantage. The first volley of bullets that had been fired at them had bounced harmlessly off of their shields, though the Humans quickly learned to prioritize fire on a single target to quickly eliminate their defences. Now, he laid huddled behind a large boulder alongside his fellow Zealots, who would tilt their heads out of the cover every so often to see how close their enemies were.

"Executor Velran, we have been engaged by Human forces! I repeat, we have been engaged by Human forces!" Thraos shouted into his communication device, dropping down low as a bullet skimmed past his cover.

" _What?! How is this possible? I told you to stay clear of the Human forces at all cost!"_ Velran bellowed on the other end of the comms.

Of course, he had every right to be angry, and Alaris knew it was because of him. If he had not let his rage get the better of him, perhaps this could have gone differently. He saw Thraos glance in his direction, the disappointment clear in his eyes.

"The Humans openly attacked us first when they stumbled upon us." Thraos responded, sighing deeply as he committed to the half lie. "We require reinforcements, lest we be overwhelmed."

There was a short silence after Thraos made his request, though what was no doubt just a few seconds felt like minutes to him. Alaris stole a glance from his cover, watching as the Human forces were slowly making their way towards their cover.

" _Very well, the Probe is still intact?"_ Velran finally responded, earning a short sigh of relief from Thraos in response.

"Yes Executor, it is still stationed at our original objective." Thraos confirmed, quickly swinging his Psi Axe in a wide arc as a Human stepped behind his cover in an attempt to shoot him.

" _I will have a Pylon constructed their immediately to Warp in reinforcements. Hold out for as long as you can."_ Velran instructed, only for the sound of static to follow through as the connection cut out.

"Praetor! We cannot hold out for much longer!" a nearby Zealot protested, pointing one of his Psi Blades towards the Human Base. "These Humans will overwhelm us at this rate, the only thing the promised reinforcements will be backing up is a graveyard!"

"We must have faith, Templar." Thraos urged, clasping hold of the Zealot's shoulder in response. "We are the Protoss, children of ancient Gods. We are the Firstborn, and we will be the last left standing!"

A chorus of approving roars followed, though Alaris remained silent. It would take too long for the Pylon to warp in, and much longer for the reinforcements to make it to their location. They needed a distraction, to buy as much time as possible.

"Praetor," Alaris spoke, causing Thraos to turn towards him quickly. "I will go out and distract the enemy. That way you can hit the enemy when their back is turned."

"Alaris, such a thing is surely suicide!" Thraos stated, his eyes wide. "If you go out there, you will surely die!"

"I would rather die on my feet, surrounded by the bodies of my enemies then die cowering behind a rock." Alaris defended, slamming his fist into the ground. "If we do nothing, then the reinforcements will have been for naught."

Thraos turned to his fellow Templar, all of them looking expectantly at him. After a short bout of silence, Thraos nodded solemnly towards Alaris.

" _Korshala Adun_." Thraos whispered.

" _Korshala Adun_." Alaris replied, igniting his Psi Blades as he broke cover.

"There goes one of them! Gun 'em down!" one of the Humans ordered, the majority of the force turning towards Alaris and firing.

The Leg Enhancements in his Armour allowed him to dodge the majority of the bullets, as he quickly left their line of sight. Some of the Humans began to pursue him, whilst others fired pot shots in the hope of maybe hitting him.

"Now!" Thraos ordered, as he and the other Templar broke cover and charged the preoccupied Humans.

The Zealot's all let out a singular primal battle cry as they hit the Human force from behind. Their Psi Blades tore through the Humans Aura and armour, their limp bodies falling to the dirt as flesh cauterized. Most of the Humans turned around to face the sudden attack, firing indiscriminately at the Protoss. At first, their shields absorbed the brunt of the attack, though they quickly collapsed under the relentless assault. Many Zealot's bellowed in both pain and rage as the bullets tore through their flesh and bone, the Crystal Matrices in their armour quickly warping them back to the Mothership, leaving only puddles of dark purple blood behind.

Thraos let out a roar as he swung his Psi Axe out, hitting three Humans in a single swing before hitting two more with the counter swing. He let out a pained roar as a bullet hit his shoulder, causing him to grip the limb tightly. Two Zealot's, the only survivors, pulled him back behind cover, panting loudly as they treated their own wounds as well. Thraos let out a soft sigh as he laid his head back against the rock. Already he could see the Crystal Matrices activate in his and the other two Zealot's armour. He closed his eyes as the Human forces quickly surrounded them, their weapons trained on their forms.

" _Doom'ha du nala!_ "

The sound of Particle Disruptor's quickly followed as the Humans screamed in both pain and shock. Thraos opened his eyes, and was greeted by a sight that made his Hearts skip a beat. A contingent of Nerazim Stalkers quickly appeared in the tree line, where they quickly teleported forward with the use of their Void Displacers. The Stalkers were quickly joined by a large handful of Zealot's, Sentries and even the towering Immortals. A High Templar, presumably the leader of the reinforcements, quickly levitated towards Thraos, offering him a hand which he quickly took.

"Thank the Gods you have arrived, we are most gracious for your assistance Templar." Thraos thanked, the High Templar clasping his hands on both shoulders.

"Think nothing of it, Praetor." the High Templar responded, quickly turning towards the Human Base, more of them quickly funnelling out of the entrance to the compound. "We must push these infidels back into their Fort, then we can deal with them once and for all."

"Agreed." Thraos nodded, quickly bringing his Psi Axe up and raising it into the air. "Fight on my Brothers! _En Taro Artanis!_ "

The Protoss force quickly roared in approval as they charged forward, Psi Blades at the ready as they quickly greeted their foe.

 **00000000**

Alaris continued to lead the small force of Humans on, darting between the tree's and other foliage. He spun around as one of them emptied the rounds in his Rifle at him, quickly using his Psi Blades to absorb the brunt of the attack. He then charged a nearby tree and launched himself off of it, tackling a Human to the ground where he began to slash at them with his Psi Blades. Another Human fired at him, his shields flickering slightly as the bullets made contact. Alaris looked up and charged the Human, piercing his gut with the Psi Blades and pinning him into a tree.

Alaris flinched slightly as more bullets hit his shields, as three more Humans began to concentrate fire on him. Alaris roared as he charged them, cutting down one of the Humans with a single strike. The final two kept their distance as they continued to fire in unison at him, eventually shattering his shields. Alaris flinched in pain as he then felt a bullet split through his side, causing him to roar in discomfort as he pressed his hand against the wound. When he pulled his hand back, he saw it covered in his own blood.

He let out another roar as more bullets hit his body, quickly causing him to topple down onto the ground. He clutched the wounds tightly as he scuttled back as best he could, the two Humans approaching him cautiously with their rifles aimed at his head. Alaris glared silently at his executioners, who had triumphant sneers plastered on their faces.

But the sneers quickly turned when the unexpected happened. One of the Humans screamed in agony as he fell down, split in two by a hidden assailant. The second Human looked around quickly, his Rifle shaking in his hand. Then he let out a pained moan as he was quickly lifted into the air, a curved Warp Blade protruding out of his back.

As the Human fell to the ground, a figure materialised out of the shadows. Their armour was bone, with cloth and leather keeping the armour sown together. In their hand was a staff mounted Scythe, a Warp Blade protruding out of both ends of the weapon. Alaris sighed in relief at the sight of the Nerazim Dark Templar, who quickly approached as he helped him to his feet.

"Come Brother," the Dark Templar ordered, supporting Alaris on his shoulder. "We must fall back to the shadows lest we share the Humans fate."

"What...do you mean?" Alaris asked, his voice strained as he winced slightly at the sudden movement.

"You shall see soon." was all the Dark Templar replied, their forms quickly melding into the shadows.

 **00000000**

Thraos let out a primal roar as he swung his Psi Axe down on a Humans head, splitting it in two. He then swung out yet again, sending two more flying back from the blow. The Humans had been caught completely by surprise at the sudden Protoss reinforcements, making the playing field far more even.

Zealot's cut through the Human forces with their Psi Blades, the weapons quickly draining Aura with each strike. Stalkers fired Particle Disruptor's at the Humans from afar, and when one moved too close for comfort, it would simply 'Blink' away and continue firing. Sentries fired Disruption Beams at the Human forces, draining Aura at a considerably slow rate, though they made up for the lack of damage by boxing in Human forces with their Shield Blocks, while also providing a moderate amount of defence with their Guardian Shields. Even the Immortals, usually at a large disadvantage against light infantry units, were ploughing through the Human forces with their Phase Disruptor's, sending the enemy flying back as the heavy duty Psionic rounds hit the floor where they stood.

"Push them back!" Thraos shouted, quickly decapitating a Human who had attempted to sneak up on him.

The Human forces were soon forced into a retreat, quickly filing back into the Fort whilst those who had been cut off were quickly cut down. As Thraos watched the remaining Humans seal themselves in the keep, he caught a glimpse of something leaving the tree-line, quickly making their way to him. It didn't take long however, for him to identify the individuals.

"Alaris! You still live!" Thraos gasped, quickly dropping his Psi Axe on the floor as he rushed forward, quickly supporting his wounded pupil alongside the Dark Templar. "Seeing you alive brings my hearts great joy."

"Praetor, what is going on? Why are our forces not pursuing?" Alaris questioned, wincing slightly as he felt his wounds stretch slightly.

Thraos turned around to face the Keep, and saw what Alaris meant. The Protoss force were making no attempt to bring the gates down, or even blast their way through the wall. Instead, they were retreating, in huge droves nonetheless.

"Templar!" Thraos shouted to a passing Zealot, causing the warrior to spin around and face him. "What is happening? Why are we in retreat?"

"You shall see soon enough." the Zealot simply responded, turning around to continue running.

Thraos narrowed his eyes at this, quickly helping Alaris move forward towards the retreating army. Why would they leave this early? The enemy was on the run, sealed within their own Base. It made no tactical sense to abandon the battle this early on. As he continued to question the reasoning behind such madness, a loud noise, similar to a fog-horn, interrupted his thoughts.

He quickly looked to the sky, where a storm that had not been present before was quickly brewing. The small tempest began to grow in size as what appeared to be electricity arced within. But something felt wrong about it. It felt almost...familiar. That was when he saw the metal hull exit the clouds, a large crystal floating at the tip of the vessel.

" _This is Void Ray 'Raszagal's Mercy', we shall purge these infidels and raze their base to the ground!"_ a voice suddenly resounded in the comms of the Protoss, causing both Thraos and Alaris' eyes to widen in realisation.

The wings of the Void Ray began to spin around, slowly at first but getting faster each second. Small beams of both Psionic and Warp energy shot out of the wings and into the Prismatic Core at the front of the ship, which began to glow with power as it absorbed the energies within. Bullets of all shapes and sizes quickly began to fire at the Void Ray, though they bounced harmlessly off of the Ships superior shielding.

" _Fire at will, Commander."_

The Prismatic Beam let out a stream of energy at the base, quickly cleaving through the metal like a hot knife through butter. Explosions resounded both outside and within the base as the vast Psionic Energy within reacted to the Dust being refined in the base, creating volatile explosions of all shapes and colours. The base was quickly to crumble as the Prismatic Beam began to die down to a sliver, the bottom sections of the structure no longer able to support the top of it. Cheers and roars of triumph began to break out amongst the Protoss forces, who raised their fists and weapons into the air as the base was covered in a cloud of dust, trace embers of Psionic energy lingering within.

" _Target eliminated, returning to orbit."_ the Captain of the Void Ray stated, the front of the vessel closing up as it quickly withdrew back into the clouds.

" _Praetor, we will warp you and the reinforcement's back to the Mothership shortly."_ Executor Velran's voice suddenly interrupted, knocking Thraos out of his trance. _"Prepare for debriefing."_

"As you will, Executor." Thraos replied, sighing loudly to himself as he continued to help Alaris along. He had a feeling there would be little celebration aboard the Mothership.

 **00000000**

"Ma'am, we're approaching the Dust Refinery factory, still zero contact with them."

"Keep trying, we need to know what we're dealing with." Winter demanded, earning an affirmative nod in response.

She quickly approached the wind shield of the drop ship, watching as the morning sun began to rise over the horizon, turning the once night sky a faint red. She sighed as she quickly took out her Scroll, switching it on as she checked the time. As she prepared to switch the device off, she lingered as she observed the picture that was her wallpaper. Her and her younger sister Weiss, stood side by side on the day she was leaving for Beacon. She smiled softly as she observed the picture, gently stroking it before switching the device off.

She had spoken little with Weiss since she had left, though both did often write letters to one another. She took a mental note to perhaps spend some more time with her sister once this was all over. Her sister had seemed to notice, along with her superiors, that she hadn't been the same since that thing had turned her entire squad against her, who she had been forced to kill just to survive. Though that wasn't what had changed her. Had she been in the same situation, she would have done it again. What had changed her had been more horrifying.

"Ma'am! You might want to see this!" the pilot suddenly shouted, knocking Winter out of her thoughts.

Winter turned to the direction the Pilot was pointing and let out a silent gasp. The remains of one of her fathers Factory's was before them, smoke billowing up into the air as fires raged within the ruins.

"Quickly, set us down now!" Winter ordered, pointing to the clearing before the ruins.

The Pilot nodded as he began the landing procedures, the drop ship landing with a soft thud. The doors to the craft quickly opened as Atlesian Soldiers filed out, quickly racing towards the ruins alongside Winter. All of them quickly began to cough as the smoke entered their lungs, forcing them back slightly.

"My God, what could do this?" one of the Soldiers murmured, scanning the tree-line for any lingering assailants.

"Think it could have been White Fang?" another asked, coughing slightly as he expelled the remaining smoke from his lungs.

"No, they don't have this kind of fire power..." Winter murmured in response, looking around at the devastation. "This was something else."

"But what?" a Soldier retorted, looking back and forth between Winter and the Factory. "What else could do this?"

"Hey guys, what's with all the black blood?"

Winter turned to one of the more wayward Soldiers, who had his Rifle pointing to the ground. When Winter approached, she saw that the ground was soaked in blackish purple blood, which was quickly seeping into the soil.

"Get a sample and take it back to HQ." Winter ordered, to which the Soldier replied as he began to scoop some of the blood into a small glass vial. "Hopefully we can identify the species responsible, maybe the direct individual if we are lucky."

"Ma'am, over here!" a Soldier quickly shouted, waving Winter over towards him.

She quickly approached the Soldier, who held a small security camera in his hands, the hull battered beyond repair.

"Is it still operational?" Winter enquired, to which the Soldier shook his head in response.

"No ma'am, but feed might be salvageable." the Soldier responded. "We get it transferred and we might find out what exactly did this."

Winter simply nodded towards the drop ship in response, to which the Soldier rose up and headed towards the vessel, camera in hand.

"Let's head back to HQ," Winter ordered, to which the Soldiers all nodded in response as they strode back to the ship. "Let's find out who did this."

 **00000000**

 **Okay, chapter is done and next update will be Sunday. Liked it? Leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your review.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	6. A New Threat

**Another day, another chapter. Just a quick announcement first, those that have read my other story 'The Hero of Remnant' will already be aware of this, but I'm going on Holiday next week on July 30th. The good news is that the next chapter should be out on August 7th but until then no updates whatsoever. Now, review response time. Bravo Tango; it makes a nice change from 'Terran OP plz nerf!'. Edboy4926; thanks for the compliment. Nexus Gundam; all right, here's the update. Dragonsoul1; but where's the fun in that? Cipher96; took the words right out of my mouth. SirSpangler; actually, feedback like this really helps improve the overall quality of the story in the future. So yes, the Protoss will most certainly have more trouble in future engagements. And OutlastTheDark; I got all of the translations from the StarCraft Wiki, if you want I can send you a translation of all the quotes that have appeared thus far. Psi Blades are awesome! Actually, they are surprisingly stable, just really angsty. Yeah, reading your fics has made me notice you hate the Schnee's. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 6- A New Threat**

Winter strode through the corridors of the Forward Command Centre in Atlas, the Soldiers she passed saluting as she approached. Everything that had happened so far was bizarre to say the least. An entire Dust Refinery, obliterated in what appeared to have been hours. Her fathers Security Personnel, butchered by unknown assailants. And a strange liquid substance and material unlike anything they had seen before scattered across a makeshift battlefield.

Hopefully, they could get some answers to those mysteries. Already the liquid and metal were being identified by their two top Scientists, whom she was headed for at this moment in time. And their brightest technicians were already trying to repair the security camera they had found, so they could finally identify the attackers. At first, she would have said the White Fang were the clear culprits, but her recent trip to the morgue had put doubts within her mind.

They had managed to retrieve one of the dead Security Personnel who had not been too butchered by the attackers, and the autopsy report was gruesome to say the least. The organs and tissues around the wounds had apparently cauterized upon contact with the weapon, with the bodily fluids having been flash-vaporized by the strike. What was more gruesome was that fluids not vaporized were trapped in organs and arteries, with the heat causing them to rupture and explode. A grim death to be sure, but how was such a thing possible?

No type of known Dust could do such a thing, and the wounds were somewhat similar to wounds caused by intense outputs of energy. The thing was, such energy had never been harnessed as a weapon by the Atlas Military, which made it doubtful that the White Fang could possess such a weapon. Most weaponry within the White Fang was stolen Military hardware, and those that were custom made were crude and prone to failure. Perhaps she would find out the answers soon.

The doors to the Military Labs opened as she approached, revealing a large room with multiple work stations littered with work appliances. Prototype weapons, medicinal drugs and many more. In the far side of the room were two Scientists, both of them with greying hair and worn faces, that worked continuously as they attempted to identify both the strange substance and metal.

"Doctor Strom, have you been able to identify our mysterious liquid yet?" Winter asked, turning to face the Scientist on the right.

The Doctor in question turned to face her, a look of confusion and worry present on her weathered face.

"Yes and no I'm afraid ma'am." Doctor Strom replied, ushering Winter over to her. "I have identified certain particles within that suggest the substance is in fact blood."

"Blood? Are you certain?" Winter questioned, looking as dumbfounded as the Scientist did. She had never seen blood of this colouration before.

"Yes, but if you're wondering what the source of the blood is, I'm afraid I can't tell you." Doctor Strom informed, quickly bringing up a screen that displayed a strand of DNA, presumably from the blood. "I've also picked up a large quantity of elements within the blood that are completely unknown to us."

"Are you certain?" Winter pushed, her eyes narrowed in obvious uncertainty.

"Yes, either we're dealing with an undiscovered native species, or something else entirely." Doctor Strom summarised, shaking her head slowly.

"Doctor Grey, I only hope you have clearer answers on what we're dealing with..." Winter stated, turning to face the second Scientist, who was male with a big bushy beard and a cybernetic enhancement inserted in his right eye.

"I only wish I did." Doctor Grey replied, shaking his head regrettably. "But like dear Doctor Strom, I too have found elements within the metal unlike anything in our periodic table."

"I see..." Winter murmured, sighing slightly in disappointment at the news. "Did you uncover anything else?"

"Yes, something very interesting." Doctor Grey stated, brining up a screen filled with multiple test results performed on the metal. "This fragment you procured appears to be nearly indestructible, requiring large amounts of force to even pierce."

"If so, then how exactly did we manage to find this fragment then?" Winter enquired, gesturing to the metal in question.

"Most likely a heavy duty weapon of some form, or maybe focused fire by multiple standard weapons." Doctor Grey replied, slowly scratching his bald head. "Still, it would be nearly impossible to recreate said metal, as the majority of the make out is in fact made up of unknown elements."

Charred bodies, unidentifiable blood, near indestructible metals, this was getting more and more insane by the second. She still had no answers to her questions, and in fact she was just making more questions. Ironwood was not going to like this report, that was for sure.

"Thank you Doctors, I'll let you get back to your work." Winter nodded, the two Doctors saluting as she turned to leave the room.

She still had one more place to visit, the technicians department. Hopefully they could salvage the video feed from the Security Camera, at least then they would have an idea of what they were dealing with.

As she made her way to the technical department, she paused as she passed a point of personal interest to her. A memorial wall dedicated to those who died facing the Grimm Onslaught over a year ago, and those who had died fighting their strange Masters. Near the end of the War, she had been one of the fortunate few Commanding Officers who had managed to keep their entire Squad from start to finish. But on one of her final missions, she had lost them all to that...that thing. It turned them against her, and she was forced to put them all down before piercing that things Skull. She closed her eyes as she gently brushed the black marble wall, etched with the names of the fallen before moving on.

She quickly made her way to the technical department, the doors once again opening as she approached them. Inside were a team of technicians working on all sorts of equipment from Military Grade Scrolls to haywire Atlesian Knights. She watched with mild interest as one of the decommissioned Knights suddenly sprung to life, its visor flashing red as it thrashed around uncontrollably before being deactivated.

Once again, at the far side of the room a team of technicians worked on salvaging whatever they could from the damaged Camera, sparks of electricity flashing as they prodded it with multiple tools. The lead Engineer flipped through a clipboard before signing it and handing it back to another Engineer before turning towards Winter.

"Ma'am, glad you could make it." the lead Engineer said, bowing slightly as he addressed Winter.

"Have you found anything of relevance yet?" Winter demanded, immediately getting to the point rather then mincing words.

"As of yet, no." the Engineer replied, shaking his head slightly. "But we are making progress with retrieving the data."

"Good, inform as soon as something comes up." Winter ordered, earning a nod from the Engineer as he returned to his work.

She sighed softly as she turned to leave the technical department, her mind set on one thing. She returned back to the memorial wall, looking over the names etched on it. She soon found the names of her Squad embedded in the wall; Naomi Violet, John Steel, Victor Grey, Anthony Brown...and Daniel Greene. She sighed once again as she closed her eyes, her mind going back to that fateful day.

 **00000000**

 _Winter panted as she fell on all fours, her body marked and scarred with electrical burns. The bodies of Steel and Grey laid next to her, whilst Brown and Greene circled her like hungry wolves, the strange creature slowly moving to the ground, thick saliva dripping from its mandibles. Winter attempted to rise, only to scream and spasm in pain as Brown thrust forward with the Shock Baton, further stunning her._

" _Do you not see? It is hopeless to resist." the creature hissed, its voice echoing across the cave. "Now, submit!"_

" _Never..." Winter wheezed, looking up defiantly to meet the creatures gaze. "I will...never submit..."_

 _The creature tilted its head, almost as if puzzled by the statement. Greene and Brown stopped their circling, almost as if waiting for the fiends response. Then after what felt like hours of silence, the creature spoke once more._

" _Then you will die."_

 _Almost as if on cue, Brown dropped his Shock Baton and drew his Pistol, quickly switching the safety off as he aimed it at Winter's head. Using what little of her Aura was left, Winter spun around quickly and grabbed Brown by the wrist and forced the barrel of his Pistol on himself, forcing him to pull the trigger. Brown shuddered as the shots split through his stomach, before letting out one final breath and slumping to the ground._

 _Still holding the Pistol, she aimed at the creature and began firing, the fiend howling as the bullets hit its shell, one bullet even piercing its eye. She stopped firing as the Pistol ran dry, quickly throwing it to the ground and retrieving her Rapier off the floor. As the creature shook its head in complete pain, Winter charged, only to be intercepted by Greene, who still clutched his Shock Baton._

 _The two struck at one another, their fighting almost calm in contrast to the true nature of the battle. The creature finally recovered, glaring at Winter as she continued to battle Greene. The creature let out an ear splitting roar as a pulse emanated from its forehead again, hitting both Greene and Winter, causing both to stagger back in response._

 _Winter shook her head as she rose up, where she saw Greene still stagger around, clutching his head as he groaned loudly. Without thinking, Winter charged Greene, disarming him and thrusting her Rapier in his stomach, causing him to yell out in pain. But as he looked up, Winter let out a silent gasp at what she saw._

 _His eyes were no longer blank and glassed over, but now back to their usual colour._

" _Ma'am..." Greene whimpered as his eyes rolled back, before he fell down on the ground, his blood staining the cavern floor._

 _Winter stared down at the body, her own eyes wide in realisation and horror as she staggered back. She turned as she heard what sounded like a deep guttural laugh echo around her, the creature clearly laughing at her realisation._

" _Such is the fate of all life in the Universe." the creature hissed, its mandibles clicking together with excitement. "No Humans, no Faunus, no Grimm, only Hybrid!"_

 _Winter's shocked expression turned to one of determination as she slowly approached the so called Hybrid, holding her Rapier up to her face. The Hybrid roared as it leaned forward on all limbs, before sprinting towards her on all fours. Winter ground to a halt as the creature rapidly approached her, her Rapier still close to her body. She allowed the creature to ensnare her in its tendrils, allowing it to draw her closer to its opening maw, which was slowly encompassing around her. Then, with a primal yell, she thrust her Rapier into its mouth, the tip of the blade now protruding from its Skull, causing it to screech in pain as it slouched forward, dead._

 _Winter pulled her Rapier free as she quickly shrugged the Tendrils off, quickly dropping her weapon as she rushed towards Greene, who had long since been dead, and began to cradle his limp body in her hands_

" _Oh god, I'm sorry Greene." Winter murmured as she held the dead body of her comrade close to her own. "I'm so sorry..."_

 **00000000**

"Ma'am? Are you all right?"

Winter opened her eyes and spun around quickly, an Atlesian Soldier standing in front of her.

"Yes, I'm fine." Winter dismissed with a wave of her hand, sighing slightly before turning to face the Soldier again. "What news do you have for me?"

"Engineers finally managed to get something out of the camera you brought back ma'am," the Soldier reported as he nodded towards Winter. "they're waiting on you before they view it."

"Thank you Soldier, dismissed." Winter responded, earning a small salute from the Soldier as he turned to leave her be.

Winter sighed as she turned to make her way towards the technical department, quietly composing herself as she approached the sliding doors. The Engineers were abuzz as they gathered around the camera, which was now connected to a Scroll. The Engineers ushered Winter over, who quickly took the Scroll from the Engineers hand.

"Have you viewed it yet?" Winter asked, turning to the lead Engineer in the process.

"No ma'am, we thought you should see it first." the lead Engineer replied, earning an approving nod from Winter.

At that she clicked the play button, the Scroll becoming grainy as it loaded the video footage. At first, all seemed peaceful. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred, save for a Schnee Industries Military Jeep leaving the compound. It was silent once again, until movement was spotted at the top left corner of the screen. It was one of her fathers Security Guards, limping back towards the base. Then they stopped as something large but out of sight came up behind him and pierced him with a bright blue blade.

They were soon joined by more blue lights as Security Personnels rushed out to greet them. A few minutes passed as the Security force battled the hidden assailants, until they were struck down by bolts of blue energy. More Personnel rushed out to fight them, and that was when they saw them for the first time.

They attackers were tall, extremely tall, with bright blue blades attached to their wrists. They were covered in golden armour, some of them wearing it head to toe, whilst faint blue orbs protected them from enemy bullets. They were accompanied by grey coloured robots with spider like legs, even larger ones with what appeared to be cannons on their arms and smaller boat like ones with large blue orbs on their backs.

But whilst the Engineers watched with fascination, Winter looked on in horror. She had seen things like these before, things that had mortified her. They looked almost like...like those Hybrids. There was then a flash of light on the screen as it abruptly cut out, signalling the end of the video footage. Winter slowly passed the Scroll back to the lead Engineer, lest anyone realise her hands were shaking. Without another word, she walked out of the room, leaving the Engineers within completely puzzled by her nature.

Ironwood needed to know about this.

 **00000000**

The creature growled angrily as it trudged through its cave, its clawed hands scraping across the surface of the stone. Saliva dripped from its maw as it sniffed the air, following the scent it had caught. It continued to track its quarry, stopping outside the mouth of the cave as it sniffed loudly, a low growl emanating from the back of its throat.

Trappers, trappers were close by, it could smell them. They reeked of blood and steel and oil amongst other things. They were hunting Grimm, for what reason it did not know, nor did it care. They would serve him all the same. With a huge intake of air, it let out a blood curdling roar, its vocals travelling quickly through the entrance of the tunnel into the night sky.

It could hear them approaching now, their footsteps getting faster. The creature let out a soft guttural chuckle as it retreated to the back of the cave, waiting for the trappers to arrive. It quickly scuttled into one of the corners of the cave, clinging to the wall like a spider would a web.

It waited until the trappers entered the cavern, none of them thinking to look behind them where it waited. It continued to wait, until the last of the trappers had entered. There were thirty of them, twenty eight of them all armed with standard weaponry and armour, but two were different. One was a young male, with silver hair and grey and black clothing. Although he looked whole, it could smell the cybernetics in his legs. The other was a female of the same age, with mint green hair and green and brown clothing, with two scythe like weapons at her hips.

It would need these two alive for its plans, the rest were expendable. As the party seemed to lose interest and prepare to move on, it let out a hollow hiss to keep their attention. The trappers went stiff immediately, quickly scanning every corner of the room at the noise. One of them scanned directly in front of it, seemingly missing it at first, before he shot back at it, their eyes wide in fear as they registered it. It then let out another roar as it pounced at him, their scream drowned out by gunshots and more screams as blood stained the cavern once more…

 **00000000**

 **And done. As I said, no update next week so stay put until the 7th. Liked it? Leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	7. Consequences

**Hello everyone, I have returned! Just got back from Holiday and now I'm ready to continue my fics. 'The Hero of Remnant' will receive an update next Saturday but until then, I hope this chapter will satisfy. Now, review response time. Bravo Tango; unfortunately I had to cut the Protoss from the chapter, but I'm making up for it here as you'll see soon. Lord-Krun; yeah, the issue with war stories is finding a good balance to make the opposition a reasonable threat. What I'm gonna try for is that to Remnant, the Protoss are few in number but make up for it with a vast technological advancement and better tactical know how whilst to the Protoss, Remnant isn't as practised in their level of warfare but makes up for it in sheer numbers and geographical knowledge. Le MAO XVII; yeah, I have no interest in RTS games whatsoever but I like the story of StarCraft, now that's weird. And yeah, you basically summed it all up pretty well in your review. Akshka; okay, here's an update. And OutlastTheDark; hey, it's hard recreating/identifying an unknown element. I always thought the Hybrid were pretty cool looking… you think I'm weird now, don't you? Hey, he's gotta be a General for a reason right? Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 7- Consequences**

Alaris winced slightly as rolled his shoulder forward, clutching his injured arm with his free hand. He was fortunate that most of the wounds he had sustained were easily treated, needing only minor medical treatment. Only a few others had been so lucky. Most had accepted the honour of becoming Immortals, towering Guardians of the Protoss that struck fear in the hearts of even the most steadfast of enemies. The others had declined the offer, either not being injured enough to declare themselves worthy of the title, or preferring join their ancestors in eternal sleep.

Alaris had wondered if he would ever be brave enough to choose the latter option. The only way he knew was the Warriors way, and he would not give up that mantle any time soon. In the past, a Protoss who had chosen to die rather than be born again would forever be remembered in the Khala, but with the way of the Khala long gone, he did not know what awaited the spirits of the deceased Protoss. Perhaps their willingness to embrace the unknown made those that chose to die braver than those that chose to fight on.

Alaris winced again as he shifted in the medical bed, quickly clutching his leg as white hot pain shot up it. Out of all his injuries, the one on his leg was the worst. So bad in fact that the medic treating him offered to have it amputated and replaced with a cybernetic leg, though he had declined the offer. He wanted to fight again, that much was certain, and he didn't want a robotic attachment to hinder his skill.

He quickly raised his head as he heard the doors to his chambers open, where he was greeted by the sight of his Praetor, Thraos. He no longer wore his Armour, instead now adorned in formal robes of blue and silver, that portrayed his status in the Protoss Military. Alaris also had a similar robe for off duty hours, though he much preferred the comfort of Armour much more. In fact he felt nearly naked without it, his current condition forcing him to wear medical fatigues until his Armour was repaired. He could now also see clearly the extent of his teachers injuries, bandages wrapped around his chest and right arm, the clean linen indicating either the wound had healed enough to stop the flow of blood or they were new.

"Praetor!" Alaris wheezed as he attempted to stand to attention and salute.

"Calm yourself Alaris," Thraos stated, holding his hand up in a halting motion. "I think it is fair to say that your current health will allow such a breach in protocol just this once."

Alaris nodded once as he let himself lean back onto his bed, shuffling slightly so that he could sit up properly without causing too much discomfort. Thraos quickly grabbed a stool and placed it in front of the bed, proceeding to sit on it seconds later. There was an uncomfortable silence as the two simply stared at one another, neither sure of what to say to the other.

"How did the debriefing go, Sir?" Alaris finally asked, breaking the veil of silence that had thus far threatened to smother the room. Thraos cocked his head in thought as he recalled the event before answering.

"It went better than expected considering what had happened." Thraos replied, nodding his head slightly. "But I fear that the actions of that day will not so easily be forgotten if what I've heard is anything to go by."

"How so, Sir?" Alaris quizzed.

"Ilaris has since intercepted more chatter on their radio system, it seems they have become aware of our existence." Thraos sighed, shaking his head solemnly. "Already their Military is attempting to mobilise a strong planetary defence against us."

"Have our vessels already been engaged?" Alaris questioned, though he immediately felt stupid for asking that question. If they'd been engaged already in orbit, the medical bay would be filled with more wounded than it already was.

"No, not yet." Thraos confirmed, gesturing with his hands slightly. "As far as our scans indicate, their Fleet has remained in atmosphere, either unwilling to engage us or simply unable. The Executor has recalled all scouting parties to the core of the main fleet whilst all future ground operations have been cancelled until further notice."

"I see..." Alaris murmured as he laid his head back slightly. His mind immediately went to his original mission, of their objective in which too many lives had been lost. "I trust our own excursion has not been for naught?"

As Alaris turned to face the Praetor, he saw unmistakeable signs of body language he had not seen before. His head was bobbing slightly, and the ends of his severed nerve cords twitched here and there. He wasn't pleased at all.

"The Phase Smith has informed us that the Crystals we retrieved were dead, having lost all power upon arriving." Thraos replied, the signs of contempt obvious in his body language. "Yet they brimmed with power when we first retrieved it."

"How is that possible?" Alaris murmured, almost too quietly for the Praetor to hear. He had seen it first hand the power the Crystal had radiated, and he was fairly confident that the same Crystals were responsible for the variety of explosions that occurred when the Base had been destroyed.

"I do not know, Alaris." Thraos sighed, having finally controlled his emotions to a reasonable level. "Perhaps the way it was transported through the Probe was responsible, or perhaps it needed to be harvested in a certain amount of time."

Alaris simply nodded in response, looking away from the Praetor as he closed his eyes. This was all because of him, the lives lost. If he had simply had better control of his emotions, then none of this would have happened.

"You seem troubled, Alaris." Thraos murmured, quickly placing his hand on Alaris' shoulder. "Your skin is shaking and your head is bowed… what troubles you?"

"This is my doing Praetor." Alaris finally stated, turning to face the Praetor with downcast eyes. "I ignored all your teachings and let my rage consume me. I have failed you as a Student."

To his surprise, Thraos simply nodded slowly in response, taking in Alaris' confession of poor judgement. It seemed an eternity before he spoke again.

"You are right, you did ignore my teachings." Thraos agreed, though his voice did not show any anger, only agreement. "But you also acknowledged the mistake. As long as you vow to never make the same mistake purposely, then you have not failed me yet. Who knows, perhaps I can make a Commander out of you yet."

Alaris chuckled in recognition of the praise, though the downcast expression remained.

"It is standard Military practice for me to at least receive some form of punishment." Alaris replied, earning a small shake of the head in response.

"I think the wounds you have received are punishment enough, don't you think?" Thraos retorted with a raised eye. "I think it is safe to say that-"

"No, I need to be punished or I won't learn." Alaris interrupted, causing the Praetor to lean back slightly. "Besides, if you are discovered of not following regulation, you will be punished far more severely."

Thraos nodded slightly in recognition, stroking his chin in deep thought. Seconds later, he snapped his fingers as a suitable punishment entered his thoughts.

"Very well, how about this. As soon as you're able, you'll be on Armour cleaning duties for the entire crew for a week." Thraos suggested, wagging a finger in Alaris' direction. "I believe that will stop you from making the same mistake, I'm sure."

"Yes, I believe so..." Alaris gulped, his eyes going slightly wide in recognition of the punishment. Perhaps it would have been better to simply let the Praetor overlook the situation.

Thraos merely chuckled in response as he watched his Student panic slightly. That was good, as Alaris had said, it would stop him from repeating the mistake. He heard that the Zer'atai Dark Templar were extremely bloody in combat, and the Zerg Bones that made up the majority of their Armour was not so easily cleaned. The two chatted with one another a while longer, both retelling old stories of their time together and various other combat missions. Eventually however, the time for Thraos to leave came, as he had been summoned to the Bridge. After a short goodbye, Thraos left the medical bay, leaving Alaris alone once more.

With no more distractions, Alaris let his eyes close as he allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep. He would need all the strength he could get when he was able to walk without discomfort, and not just for his eventual punishment.

 **00000000**

Thraos quickly adjusted the clasps of his Armour as he approached the Bridge, making sure he was in a presentable fashion. He had been called to the Bridge by the Executor himself, and it sounded like it was urgent. As he approached the door, the Zealots guarding the entrance to the Bridge quickly saluted as he approached, the doors opening quickly afterwards.

When he entered the Bridge, he was surprised by the lack of Protoss within, save for four figures surrounding a large table, a large holographic map of the planet they orbited hovering above it.

He quickly identified one of the four Protoss as the Executor, who stood at the head of the table, who nodded in acknowledgement of the Praetor. One of the Protoss wore the Armour of a Zera'tai Dark Templar, the rims of the Armour plated in Gold that refracted the light of the room clearly. It was impossible to read his face, for a large Hyrdalisk Skull covered it, his emerald eyes glistening through the sockets.

The third figure was female, at least that was how they appeared. Their body was not made up of blood, bone or muscle, but of metal and cables, white Armour protecting their form. Amber lights glowed out of their eyes and all around their body, occasionally flashing from time to time, whilst a set of cables protruded from their head, mimicking the Nerve Cords that had once been so common on all Khalai.

The final figure was an imposing figure, tall even by Protoss standards. They wore pitch black armour that covered their entire body, a red 'T' shaped visor granting them vision. Even the Nerve Cords themselves were protected by a shining sheet of fabric, deadly looking spikes sticking out along the rim of the coating.

He realised quickly what he had observed meant, a spokesman for each sect of the Daelaam. Nerazim, Purifier and former Tal'darim. Thraos murmured a silent prayer to the Gods as he approached, his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

"You summoned me, Executor." Thraos announced, before quickly bowing his head in recognition of the other Protoss in the room.

"Took you long enough!" the Tal'darim hissed, his fists clenching and unclenching as he spoke. "Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting for you to arrive? I didn't expect this level of tardiness from you."

"Silence, Oanis!" Velran demanded, raising his hand quickly. The Tal'darim, now known to him as Oanis, quickly nodded in response and backed off slightly, though Thraos could still feel his eyes glaring at him behind the helmet. With the Tal'darim now calmed, Velran turned back to face Thraos.

"Thank you for coming Praetor, how fare your wounds?" Velran asked, gesturing to the Praetor's body as he spoke.

"I have suffered worse at the hands of both the Terran's and Zerg, Executor." Thraos replied, giving a quick salute as he spoke.

"That is good to hear, Praetor." Velran stated, nodding his head approvingly. "Now, I'm sure you are interested to know why you have been summoned."

"I admit, I have begun to wonder why I have been summoned." Thraos responded, his eyes drawn to the map in front of him.

"Then let us now keep him waiting any longer, we all have duties we need attending to." the Dark Templar stated, his voice coarse from age.

"Agreed, Zyrrakch." Velran agreed, turning to face the Dark Templar as he spoke. "As all of you are no doubt aware, our initial contact with these 'Humans' has been violent to say the least. They have killed our brethren, and we have responded in kind. And judging from this transmission we received on an open channel from one of their leaders, this dispute will not end soon."

Velran pressed a button on the holo table where the sound of static quickly filled the room, the noise rebounding on the walls of the Bridge. Then faintly, a voice began to make its way through.

" _Whoever, or wherever you are, I know you're listening."_ a voice called out. It was hard to make out any specific qualities of the voice, save it was male. _"We are more than aware that you've been accessing our systems, scanning our data. We demand that you cease these activities immediately, or suffer the consequences. We have no doubt in our mind that you are also responsible for the attack of one of our installations, and we demand that you hand over those responsible so they may be brought to justice for the lives they have taken. If you don't reply within 24 hours, we will see this as an open action of war."_

"Spoken like the vain fool he appears to be..." Oanis muttered, growling slightly in disgust. "I trust you will not respond to his demands?"

"In that you are right." Velran responded with a nod from his head.

"Good, then I suggest we hurry up and get on with purifying this planet immediately." Oanis stated, bringing a fist up to his chest.

"Purify the planet?!" the Purifier stated in obvious contempt, her synthesised voice clearly portraying her opinion. "Have you lost your mind?! Glassing the planet would defeat the objective of this mission!"

"Have you managed to cross a circuit in your mainframe at all, false Protoss?!" Oanis spat back, turning rapidly to face the robotic Protoss. "We have ignited a war with these lesser beings, clearly colonisation should be the least of our concerns! Purification by cleansing fire is the quickest and most efficient way to deal with these gnats before they can prove a threat to us!"

"And whilst we burn away their warriors, we also burn away the countless innocents from this world!" Thraos butted in, lending his voice in the debate. "I have seen first hand what Glassing can do, the horrors it can inflict!"

"Not to mention the retaliation from their Fleet we will receive." Zyrrakch added, leaning forward onto the table. "Our vessels will be vulnerable while they Glass the surface, and we do not have enough Ships in this fleet to Purify it quickly enough."

"If their Ships posed a threat to us, then they would be far closer to our position." Oanis retorted, his clawed hand pointing out of the window of the Bridge. "Clearly their vessels are not designed for Space combat, and I doubt their barrages would even hamper our shields."

"As much as your opinion is appreciated, Glassing is out of the question." Velran finally stated, turning to face the Tal'darim as he spoke. "I know that the Tal'darim would have long suggested this course of action and their Death Fleet would already be navigating their way through the remnants of the planet, but we are Templar. You chose to follow our way, like the rest of your kind did, when you split from Alarak and his followers."

"So I did..." Oanis muttered, tutting in disgust as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Does anyone have any other suggestions?" Velran asked, glancing around the table to those gathered around him. The Protoss gathered paused as they collected their thoughts, thinking through every possible action.

"I think it is safe to say that whatever we choose, we need more reinforcements." the Purifier stated, gesturing all around her as she spoke. "The Warriors aboard this vessel, and the others in the fleet, will not be enough to sustain a long term ground campaign."

"If we are wise, we could possibly dwindle their numbers through guerilla tactics." Zyrrakch suggested, shrugging slightly. "That way we could deal large amounts of damage to them whilst sustaining few casualties of our own."

"True, but they have the advantage of living on the planet, knowing what routes to avoid." Velran retorted, glancing to the Protoss as he spoke. "We could have a war party waiting to cause a massacre across a road, only for the enemy to march unhindered through another."

"Where is the majority of their Army located?" Thraos asked, stroking his chin in deep thought as he analysed the planet.

"In this sector here," Velran responded, clicking a few controls on the holo table as it focused on a specific part of the planet. "According to our scans of their data, it is known as 'Atlas', and they pride themselves on Military might."

"Clearly the fools have not fought many Wars if they believe 'that' is might." Oanis scoffed, rolling his eyes in disdain. "Having an army of Androids can only end in disaster."

The Purifier simply glared at Oanis in response, her metal claws clenched so tight she threatened to dent the metal in her palms.

"And are their suppliers located in the same area?" Thraos asked, looking up to Velran as he spoke.

"Some of them, yes. But they are mostly scattered around the planet in various locations." Velran responded, his eyes narrowing as he studied the Praetor. "What are you suggesting?"

"We cannot risk engaging in a true fight with the numbers we have right now. We have a technological advantage over them, but they could quickly render our ground units useless through sheer numbers." Thraos explained. "But if we attack their suppliers, we could hinder their supply chain. Then they will have less weapons and ammo to rely on, slowly dwindling away their resources."

"That could work at first, but they will soon catch on." Zyrrakch retorted, gesturing carelessly at the map in front of him.

"Not if we move unpredictably. We could make out the first few attacks as if going through a chain, then when they reinforce the next potential target, we attack one on the other side of the planet." Thraos explained, quickly earning a few approving nods in response.

"While that course of action could work, we will still lose many warriors in battle." the Purifier explained, shaking her head slightly at the prospect.

"At the moment, yes." Velran agreed, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. "But I already have plans in motion. I have full intention of contacting Aiur so they may be informed of this development. My intention will be to request reinforcements in the form of the Golden Armada, then the enemy will hold no prayer against our might."

"Then it is agreed?" Thraos asked, turning to all present.

"I believe so..." Velran stated, quickly standing straight as he once again addressed the Protoss. "You are all dismissed, I will inform you all of our course of action once I have contacted the Daelaam. I do not want any word of this meeting getting out, understood?"

The Protoss didn't need telling twice, quickly nodding towards the Executor before leaving the room at their own pace. Velran waited until he was alone, turning around to observe the view of the planet from the window of the Bridge. It looked almost peaceful in stark contrast to the battle that was slowly approaching. With a final sigh, Velran closed his eyes as he drank in the tranquillity in the air, the calm before the storm.

"And so it begins..."

 **00000000**

 **Hope you all enjoyed that chapter, because there's more where that came from, you can be sure. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	8. Preparations

**Hello everyone! Another day, another chapter. Sorry this was slightly late, I had to clear out our conservatory because we're getting a new roof put on and it took slightly longer than expected. Now, review response time. Bravo Tango; don't worry, I have seen Volume 3 so I'm well aware of that thing. The reason I might be against that idea is because the Protoss (most of them) have real stigma about honourable combat, but I'll keep an open mind. Edboy4926; thanks for the compliment. Dragonsoul1; what do you expect of a race that has pretty much known War for pretty much their entire life? Akshka; thanks for the compliment. And OutlastTheDark; yeah, you're right, Blizzard do have a thing for world ending events. It's like… it's like they have plans to do it or something… wait a minute… Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 8- Preparations**

Atlas Soldiers filed in as they rushed around the Military Barracks, Bullheads carrying either supplies or fresh troops flying overhead. In addition to the many flesh and blood Soldiers, contingents of Atlesian Knight-200 units and the new upgraded Atlesian Paladin-290 units. No longer did these new Paladins require a Human pilot, but were now fully integrated into the Atlas mainframe alongside the other androids within the Army.

General Ironwood strode through the Barracks, accompanied by Winter and other high ranking officials of the Army, inspecting the troops as it were. They were preparing for the worst to say the least, as much as they were able to anyway. They had received no reply from the foreign invaders, meaning they were expecting the worst. They'd already seen what they were able to do to a high value Dust Refinery, they didn't want to find out what would happen if they attacked a less defended target. They needed to be ready for the next assault.

"General Ironwood," Winter spoke up, causing the General to turn and face Winter. "I think we need to talk about these… invaders."

"It'll have to wait Winter, I have a busy schedule today." Ironwood responded, taking a clipboard from a passing Soldier and signing it before handing it back. "What with the Vytal Festival on the horizon."

"That's what I wish to talk about Sir." Winter quickly replied, raising her eyebrows and nodding subtly to the side to show she wanted the talk to be private.

Ironwood sighed as he nodded slowly, before turning to the other officials accompanying them. "If you'll excuse me gentlemen, but there are some private things that need attending to."

The gathered officials quickly nodded and saluted, each departing quickly afterwards. Soon it was just Winter and Ironwood, who stood expectantly as Winter looked around to ensure they were truly alone.

"You mind telling me what this is all about Winter?" Ironwood finally asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her expectantly.

"With all due respect Sir, I believe that the rest of Remnant deserves to know what we're up against." Winter finally said, causing Ironwood to sigh in obvious frustration.

"How many times must we go over this Winter?" Ironwood asked. "The less the rest of Remnant knows, the better."

"Sir, we barely held out against a force the rest of Remnant didn't know about." Winter retorted, pointing down to the earth as she spoke. "What if this time they manage to spill into the Cities?!"

"The last time we were up against a much larger threat than this one." Ironwood argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The last enemy wasn't nearly as advanced as this one." Winter countered. "And I would bet on my life that they've been fighting longer than we have. If we inform the other Kingdoms, then we can at least-"

"I'll hear no more of this matter Winter!" Ironwood quickly yelled, interrupting the elder of the Schnee sisters. "Is that clear?"

Winter tensed as she took a deep breath, before closing her eyes and breathing out slowly, opening them again shortly afterwards.

"Look at it this way then Sir." Winter continued, earning an annoyed glare in response. "If the enemy does make it into the Cities and they don't know about it, then civilian casualties will be high, and we would most likely get the blame for keeping the rest of Remnant in the dark. But if they are at least aware of the threat, if they do spill into the Cities then they can at least be prepared for the worst."

Ironwood sighed once again, though this time it was a sigh of submission rather then annoyance. It was quiet for many minutes as Ironwood pondered Winter's argument. She was right in a sense, if these alien invaders did manage to attack Vale, Atlas or any of the other Kingdoms, at least if they were aware of the threat they would be better prepared to combat it.

"All right then..." Ironwood finally relented, nodding slowly in Winter's direction. "I'll inform them as soon as I'm able."

"Thank you Sir." Winter responded, letting out a soft sigh of relief. "Is there anything else that needs attending to or shall I leave?"

"Yes, there's something I need you to do." Ironwood stated, causing Winter to raise her eyebrow questioningly in response. "I'm transferring you to our detachment in Vale for the for see able future."

"I see." Winter responded cautiously, clamping her hands behind her back. "Is there a high possibility that the quadrant will be attacked?"

"No, if anything, I imagine Vale will be one of the last places they'll attack." Ironwood stated, causing Winter to look at him questioningly. "Winter, I don't want you to be on the front lines against these things."

"Sir?!" Winter asked incredulously, completely baffled by the General's decision. "You can't possibly be serious, I'm-"

"One of our best, I know. But I saw the state you were in when you first showed me that footage." Ironwood defended, turning to face Winter. "These things we're fighting, they remind you of those 'Hybrid', don't they?"

Winter opted to remain silent, shuffling uncomfortably as the General stared at her.

"I thought so. Your still scarred by what happened I'd wager, and that makes you unpredictable and potentially unstable." Ironwood continued, shaking his head solemnly in the process. "I can't afford to have unstable Soldiers on the field when I need them at their best. Understood?"

Winter sighed quietly as she simply nodded her head, showing her understanding. With that, General Ironwood quietly dismissed her, allowing both to return to their assigned duties. Inside, Winter was fuming. How could Ironwood deny her this?! She was a Soldier, she was expected to fight. Still, perhaps a break from combat would do her some good. Perhaps she would be able to spend time with her sister, see if she was as good as her letters claimed she was. Only time would tell.

 **00000000**

Aboard the Protoss Mothership, Warriors both conversed and sparred with one another, each one preparing for combat. Alaris however, could only watch as the Zealots battled with one another. He had finally from his injuries enough to be classified as 'walking wounded', meaning he was now fit for standard duties...and punishments.

He groaned in disgust as he once more attempted to clean the dirt off of a Zealots Gauntlet, which had managed to get seared in a routine exercise. The Psionic burn was proving to be more than troublesome to clean, with no amount of effort seemingly being enough to properly remove the stain. One thing was for certain, he was going to have a lot more respect for the standard smiths who cleaned and repaired armour.

The sound of the doors opening quickly snapped him out of his self loathing, causing him to spin around rapidly and immediately regretting it. Whilst his wounds on his leg had gotten better, they still ached a considerable amount. Once the pain had properly subsided, he turned to face the new entry.

"Praetor Thraos!" Alaris murmured, giving his superior a salute as he stood from the workbench.

"At ease Alaris." Thraos replied, lowering his hand as he spoke. Alaris quickly nodded, sitting down on the stool once again. "I trust the smiths have been more then kind to you?"

"They have been accommodating to say the least." Alaris nodded. "I think it's safe to say I have more sympathy for them than I did before."

Thraos chuckled lightly at the statement, nodding in return as he leaned against the wall, gazing at the remaining pieces of armour left to clean. Alaris had been busy to say the least, having spent his week of punishment on carrying out his assigned task none stop. It was quite admirable really, and he was sure Alaris would be more than eager to continue his duties the next day.

"Forgive me for asking Praetor, but is there a reason why you have come here?" Alaris asked as he turned around to continue his task, once again trying to scrub the grime from the armour once more.

"Yes actually." Thraos responded, standing up straight once again. "I've come to inform you that I'll be leaving shortly."

"Leaving?" Alaris quizzed, turning around briefly before continuing with his duties. "When?"

"Immediately."

Alaris froze at the response, turning around to face the Praetor and standing up to meet him.

"The Executor is to begin the first assault on this world, which I am to lead." Thraos continued. "We'll be leaving within the hour, I do not know when we will be back. Or if we will return."

"I understand Praetor." Alaris nodded, sitting down once again to continue his duties. "I only wish that I could join you."

"I know." Thraos responded, nodding his own head slowly. "But as I'm sure you are very much aware, there will be more opportunities to fight."

"Indeed there shall." Alaris concurred, placing the Gauntlet to the side as he let out a sigh of relief. "Until then Praetor, En Taro Artanis."

"En Taro Artanis." Thraos replied, turning to leave before pausing at the door, turning around to say one last thing. "By the way, you missed a spot."

Thraos could only chuckle as he watched Alaris turn around in panic, looking at the Gauntlet quickly before letting out a loud frustrated groan. Thraos left soon afterwards, making his way to the main assembly hall, where his Warriors awaited him. As he entered, he was greeted by row after row of golden clad warriors. He quickly retrieved his Psi Axe from a nearby Zealot, swinging the weapon in his hand as he strode before the row of Templar, who stared at him, awaiting further instructions.

"Templar!" Thraos shouted, his Psi Axe now burning with Psionic energy. "Prepare for combat!"

 **00000000**

Cinder smiled to herself as she watched the White Fang quickly move a large cache of Dust into a secure area, making sure not to damage the stolen goods within. So far, things had been going somewhat smoothly. Beacon's competence in defending Vale had been put into doubt with the recent Grimm invasion, and it wouldn't be long before the other pieces of her plan were set in motion. All in all, things were going smoothly.

She was knocked out of her thoughts as she heard the doors open, causing her to turn around. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise at the sight before her. There stood Mercury and Emerald, alongside the trappers that had been hired to capture Grimm for the final piece of the plan… or perhaps more accurately, what was left of them.

Out of the thirty or so trappers that had been hired, only ten stood before her now, all scarred or injured in some form. Mercury and Emerald also bore their own wounds, the two panting heavily as they brushed their blood stained hair. In between them all was a large crate, which shook violently as loud hisses and roars sounded from within.

"What the hell happened to you two?" Cinder asked, her eyes gazing slightly at the large crate.

"We found ourselves one big ol' Grimm." Mercury panted triumphantly, nearly falling down as he spoke. "As you can probably guess, it took a lot of us to capture it."

"So I can tell..." Cinder replied, her eyes fixed on the crate. "Well, what is it? Beowolf? Ursa? Griffon?"

"We..." Emerald stammered, turning to face Mercury before continuing. "We don't know."

"Excuse me?" Cinder asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Look, we know pretty much every single type of Grimm out there." Mercury responded, shaking his head as he pointed at the crate. "But that thing is unlike anything we've ever seen before. It...it actually makes me kinda nervous."

"Really Mercury?" Cinder asked with a humoured chuckle. "Are you afraid of a caged beast?"

"Under normal circumstances, hell no." Mercury responded. "But whatever that is, it ain't normal. It's like it could hear our thoughts."

"Yeah." Emerald added, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. "And I'm pretty sure it saw past my psychic projections too."

"That's not all." Mercury murmured, closing the distance between himself and Cinder. "Between us three, I think it actually WANTED to get caught."

"Really?" Cinder responded, chuckling to herself as she shook her head. "Well, this has been quite entertaining to say the least."

The crate shook once again as whatever was within attempted to break out, causing Cinder to tut quietly to herself. Most of the Grimm captured usually had the same reaction to being caged, trying to escape their confinement any way they could. She slowly approached the crate, her hand stretching out to touch it.

"It's okay..." Cinder quietly cooed, her hand nearly touching the crate. "You're safe here..."

As soon as her hand touched the wooden panel however, she gasped. Images began to flash before her eyes, images that showed the impossible. Planets blowing up, strange insect creatures swarming a city, men in large metal suits preparing for war, golden ships burning a planet and a shadowy figure with bright red eyes.

" _Your light is extinguished!"_ a voice hissed out, choking her very thoughts.

Cinder backed away immediately from the crate, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process. She breathed heavily as she shook herself in an attempt to calm her nerves, pinching the bridge of her nose as both Emerald and Mercury looked at her in confusion.

"Get that thing locked up, away from the other Grimm!" Cinder ordered, quickly storming out of the room immediately afterwards. Once they were sure she had left, Emerald and Mercury turned to face the crate, their eyes now glassed over.

"So, when do we kill her?" Emerald asked, cocking her head to the side slightly.

" _Soon, my child."_ a voice replied from within, followed by the clicking of mandibles. _"But for now, she needs to live."_

"Why can't we just kill her now?" Mercury asked, his mouth open slightly as he questioned his new masters motives.

" _First, she must build my Army."_ the voice replied. _"Only when victory will be secured, will her usefulness come to an end."_

 **00000000**

 **I have to admit, this chapter is probably the weakest one yet. Anyway, liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your review.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	9. First Strike

**Another day, another chapter. Before we begin, review response time first. Bravo Tango; thanks for the feedback. Having worked at a Steel Works during my Apprenticeship, I can guarantee you that burns/dirt/grime etc. are all known as shit amongst workers. Brave kid; thanks for the compliment. Edboy4926; thanks for the feedback. Cipher96; wait no more my friend. Seraphtor; my first angry review! I must take a picture at once! As for your quote about Protoss and war, we do know they have been through some conflict, both internal and external. The exile of the Dark Templar's ended in violence, the Colossi were actually initially used to commit what was essentially genocide against another race called the Kalathi and we have no idea how long the war against the Zerg actually took. Lord-Krun; wow, that's a big review. Okay, I might do something like that for the 'final battle' of sorts, forcing them into a real fight. If they ever did decide to make a mark 2 Ark Ship, it would have to be a whole lot smaller, mainly because it nearly drained the Protoss Empire making 3 of them. Glad you like the interactions between the Protoss my friend. Well, you'll find out the Hybrids motives soon, as I intend to do a whole chapter around him. Akshka; thanks for the compliment. And OutlastTheDark; quiet you! They must not know that I have it in for that bitch! Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 9- First Strike**

Night had long fallen over the forests of Remnant, the semi-shattered moon of the planet casting rays of light across the land. There was a perpetual beauty about the land during the night, the way the moon cast its light on the forests below. Yet the moon was not the only source of light in the forest. Nearby, an Atlesian Garrison stood, its search lights scanning the landscape as fresh waves of troops filtered in and out of the building. The force stationed there was at least 6,000 strong, maybe more. The base was equipped with the latest batch of Atlesian Knight's and Paladin's, along with anti air turrets with enough fire power to bring down a warship should it come to that.

In one of the many watchtowers stationed around the base, a sentry huffed in boredom as he slumped against the railings of his post. His eyes continuously scanned the horizon of the forest, just waiting for a bit of excitement. He fought back the urge to yawn as his eyes grew heavier, not wanting to get caught sleeping on duty. He would most certainly be court marshalled if that was the case, and the Commander in Chief of the Garrison wasn't exactly known for dishing out light punishment. As he contemplated the risk for taking a light nap, his eyes spotted something moving within the tree-line. He leaned forward slightly, squinting his eyes in an attempt to make it out. Realising it was going to take more than squinting to identify the object, he took out a set of binoculars and looked through them. Zooming in with the device, he quickly caught sight of the offending object. An Ursa Major had come dangerously close to the Garrison, but something seemed off about the creature. Its entire left leg had been blown off and its body was covered in cuts and burns.

"Hey! Hey Sarge!" the sentry shouted from his post, constantly keeping an eye on the wounded Grimm.

Seconds later, an Atlesian Soldier strode out of the latrine, the colour of his armour identifying him as a Sergeant, as he quickly buckled his belt, an unamused look on his face.

"What?!" the Sergeant bellowed, his gruff voice filled to the brim with annoyance.

"We got an Ursa Major at the perimeter!" the sentry shouted back, fighting back the urge to laugh at the inconvenience he'd caused for the officer. "Looks like it's wounded!"

"Kill it!" the Sergeant bellowed back after a few seconds of silence. God he wanted to kill that sentry some times.

After a few orders were thrown back and forth between the garrisoned troops, an Atlesian Paladin 290 strode towards the wall of the Garrison, the energy cannon on its right arm already primed. The Paladin stopped a few feet from the wall before pivoting the cannon and unleashing a single blast of energy. The sentry watched as the energy blast arced over the wall towards the Ursa Major, which began to panic with renewed vigour as it attempted to crawl away, though its arms buckled quickly. Seconds later, the blast of energy hit the Grimm, sending chunks of flesh flying in all directions which quickly dispersed into shadow soon after.

"Woo! Yeah!" the sentry cheered, punching a clenched fist into the air. "Take that you Grimm piece of-"

The sentry was cut off as another beam of energy quickly hit the perch he stood upon, quickly turning his cheers into pained screams as his flesh and bones disintegrated. Those that had been watching the display quickly began to panic as they attempted to discover the source of the blast. Another sentry cried out in panic as his post was hit by another blast of energy, killing him seconds later.

"What the hell?!" the Sergeant bellowed, looking around in panic as more blasts began to bombard the walls. "Where the hell is this shit coming from?!"

"Sir! North side!" a sentry quickly responded, waving the Sergeant over to his location.

The Sergeant was quick to respond, shoving panicking Soldiers out of his path as he strode towards the sentry's position. The sentry only pointed to the tree-line in front of him, causing the Sergeant to growl in annoyance as he snatched the binoculars from the sentry's hands and held them up to his face. He scanned the forest for several seconds until he caught sight of the hidden attackers. A large row of large Golden armoured Warriors stood just out of range of their forces, with multiple cybernetic machines standing with them. The source of the energy blasts was soon discovered to be large row of large robotic machines that seemed as though they could take on an Atlesian Paladin in terms of size.

"Shit!" the Sergeant muttered, shoving the binoculars back to the sentry before turning towards him. "Get the Commander on the line, we got ourselves a major problem over here!"

Outside the Garrison, the Protoss force watched as the Immortals continued to fire wave after wave of antimatter bolts from their Phase Disruptor's, the barrage of ballistic missiles quickly causing the walls to give way where they were weakest. At the front line, Thraos stood as he overlooked the devastation caused by the Immortals. They were lucky they had managed to attack a base with no air defence. The Immortals were completely helpless against any type of air attack, as demonstrated by the Terran Banshees and Zerg Mutalisks. The Nerazim class known as the Annihilator could defend against air units with their powerful Shadow Cannons, but they were not present on the front lines.

"Keep firing!" Thraos ordered as he pointed towards the Garrison. "Aim for their turrets, we must force them out!"

The Immortals obeyed the order immediately, turning their attention to the turrets stationed along the wall. Oanis and those beneath him would only move forward once the turrets were down, they would be a distraction force to tempt the enemy into attacking. At the same time as they engaged the Tal'darim, Thraos would lead the bulk of the army into the fray in an attempt to split their force and crush them in a splinter movement. Then, when the rest of the Garrison force came out to defend the base from the Protoss force would Zyrrakch and his Nerazim strike, boxing them in and completely annihilating the enemy. It all had to be done right, if Oanis' force moved too early, then they would be crushed. If Zyrrakch's force moved too early, then the enemy could easily retreat. If they moved in too late, they would arrive just in time to see their forces wiped out.

"Praetor! Their forces are moving out to engage!" a Zealot to his left shouted, pointing towards the keep.

True to what the Zealot had said, the main gates were opening as multiple Atlesian Soldiers filed through alongside large lumbering bipedal walkers around the size of an Immortal. The Zealot clenched his fists, igniting his Psi Blades and prepared to charge, only to be halted by Thraos.

"Hold position Templar!" Thraos ordered, earning a nod from the Zealot in return. "Sentries! Place Shield Walls and Guardian Shields immediately!"

The Sentries let out hums of compliance as they moved in front of the first wave, most creating Shield Walls to hinder the advancing forces whilst others activated their Guardian Shields to mitigate any stray fire. The smaller infantry were struck dumb by the blocks of hardened energy, some attempting to clamber over the walls whilst others looked for a way around. The walkers however had no problem with dealing with the walls, either simply striding over them or crushing them under foot.

"Focus fire on those walkers! Now!" Thraos ordered, pointing to the first of the lumbering robots.

The energy bolts fired by the walkers were bombarding the Guardian Shields, which were doing their best to mitigate the damage dealt to the Protoss forces. A stray round from an Immortal struck the walker in the main body, the antimatter bolt creating a crater in the main body of the robot as it slowly fell on its back. They had to beat back the force before it could deal any significant damage to the main body of the attack force.

Then suddenly, as if the Gods themselves were listening to his thoughts, a bolt from an Immortal sailed over the main body of the attacking force, quickly ploughing into the last of the turrets in sight.

"The turrets are down Praetor!" the Zealot to his left cheered. "Now we wait for Oanis' force to strike!"

"It seems we must not wait long, look!" the Zealot to Thraos' right stated, pointing to the western edge of the forest.

From the tree-line, a force of black armoured Protoss were making their way to the fort, their Bane Blades glistening a blood red in the night sky. Zealots charged alongside both Supplicants, which could fire bolts of Psionic energy, and Slayers, the Tal'darim's answer to the Stalker. The encroaching army quickly spun around at the sight of the flanking force, quickly turning around to focus on the advancing army. Thraos watched as the two armies ploughed into one another, the human infantry fighting with whatever they could get their hands on whilst one of the walkers seemingly wrestled with a Vanguard.

"Praetor, more forces are advancing." the Zealot to his right stated, pointing towards the gate, where more forces were amassing, no doubt in an attempt to overwhelm the first flanking force.

"Then we strike now." Thraos responded, quickly igniting his Psi Axe before turning to the Zealot to his right. "Legate, stay here with the rear guard. Have the Immortals focus fire on the walls and any of those walkers that get too close!"

"It shall be done, Praetor." the Zealot replied, holding a clenched fist to his chest as he dipped his head low.

"Templar!" Thraos bellowed, raising his Psi Axe into the air. "Advance!"

The column of Zealots, Adepts and High Templar's moved forward, alongside a number of Stalkers, Sentries and a small pocket of Immortals. They had not moved nearly sixteen feet until the advancing forces had spotted them, quickly organising a rushed defensive line. Of course the lack of coordination between the initial defence force and the recent arrivals caused some chaos as retreating Soldiers crashed into those in the defensive line. A blunder that Thraos took advantage of quickly.

"High Templar! Unleash your fury!" Thraos ordered, pointing at the column of Soldiers.

Within seconds, the High Templar were forming orbs of Psionic energy between their hands, the energy giving off the effect of electricity. Then, they raised their hands to the sky in unison, the orbs of Psionic energy firing into the sky before falling into the row of Soldiers. The ground ignited with electricity as soon as the orbs connected, causing the Soldiers to spasm as their cells and armour disintegrated on a molecular level. One of the walkers turned towards the advancing Zealots, the rockets on its shoulders quickly buzzing to life as laser sightings mounted on them took aim at the Protoss.

"Brace!" Thraos ordered as the Protoss quickly huddled together, ducking low as best they could.

The rockets fired seconds later, streaming towards the Protoss like a swarm of angry Mutalisks. The rockets pounded the main force, sending some Protoss flying from the shock-wave of the blast. Those that had not been near the blasts were fortunate, either stumbling over slightly or having received no effect whatsoever. Those closer to the blasts were thrown to the floor, their shields damaged but still functional. The unfortunate few that had either been hit directly or were very close were no longer present on the battlefield and had been warped back to the Mothership, either too wounded to fight or because there was nothing left of them.

An Immortal who's Hardened Shields had protected him from the blast quickly fired bolts of antimatter at the walker, which quickly buckled under the continued assault as Stalkers 'blinked' around it erratically, never attacking from the same place once. Soon, the walker crumpled under the continued barrage, falling down into a heap of scrap metal.

"Templar! Move forward!" Thraos ordered as the remaining Protoss quickly filed back into order, moving forward once again.

By the time the Protoss had reached the enemy, they had set up a proper defensive line, quickly firing bolts of energy at the advancing Protoss. Their Shields protected them from the initial assault, allowing them to close the gap quickly. Soon, Thraos was swinging left right and centre at the human forces, fighting alongside his fellow Zealots. He spun around a Soldier as they attempted flank him, cleaving through his leg with his Psi Axe before splitting his skull in two. He watched as a pair of Zealots, one wielding a Psi Axe and the other the standard Psi Blades, fought in unison with one another, the one with the blades striking low whilst the other struck up high.

"Praetor, there you are!" he heard a voice bellow, a voice he recognised as Oanis'.

Thraos turned to see the hulking form of Oanis approach, his armour covered in both the red human blood and the almost black Protoss blood.

"I thought you said these humans were weak." Oanis hissed, pointing to the amassed force as he ducked beneath gunfire before striking down the offending Soldier. "Our attacks are only just harming them." he continued before letting out a sadistic chuckle. "And I thought it was going to be too easy."

"Indeed, these humans are stronger then the ones we fought." Thraos agreed, swinging down with the butt of his weapon at an approaching human, hitting him in the neck and stunning him before he struck him with the blade, the wound cauterising immediately.

"Let us hope the rest of these pathetic creatures put up a fight." Oanis then laughed as he rejoined the fray, his Bane Blades cleaving through a large number of Soldiers.

Thraos shook his head slightly as he rejoined the fray himself, cleaving through the Soldiers as he went. The tide was quickly turning to the Protoss' favour as they began to slowly crush the human army in a pincer movement, who were caught between the ever advancing forces of the Tal'darim and Templar. The tide turned even more in favour as one of their walkers in its death throes collapsed on top of one of the weaker parts of the wall, quickly bringing it down, allowing the Protoss forces a way into the Garrison if need be.

"Sir, their relief force is inbound!" an Adept shouted, pointing to the main gates.

Thraos turned towards where the Adept was pointing, and spotted another army approaching. Humans made up only a minority of the force, the main backbone being a large contingent of armoured robots that resembled humans, though were clearly different. This new force had the potential to turn the tide in the defenders favour, who welcomed the fresh batch of troops with cheers of triumph.

"Templar, hold steady!" Thraos ordered as the main body of the force turned to face the reinforcements.

Most of the Protoss that still stood were either wounded or exhausted, giving off the appearance of weary targets. Zyrrakch's forces would only engage when they were sure there were little to no defenders remaining. The first to engage were the High Templar's, who sent surges of Psionic Energy at the encroaching robots, draining their energy before sending a chain reaction of feedback energy at the force, either detonating or short circuiting the Knights. Despite this, there were still enough to pose a considerable threat to the Protoss, as Adepts began to fire discs of Psionic Energy from their Glaive Cannons, the projectiles cleaving off limbs or heads from the Knights.

"Ready blades!" Thraos ordered as the first wave of Templar held their weapons up, ready to cleave through the first column of troops.

Some of the Knights traded their Rifles for blades that emerged from their hands, mimicking the Psi Blades of the Zealots. The two forces then clashed with one another, Psi Blades locking with the Knights energy blades as the two forces fought for supremacy. Inspired by the reinforcements, the humans that had previously been retreating turned back to face the Protoss, with more then one of them catching a Zealot off guard.

"We cannot hold!" a Zealot stated as he threw a human Soldier off his back before stamping his foot on his head. "We must retreat!"

"No, not yet!" Thraos ordered as he cleaved through the middle section of an Atlesian Knight, backing away as he did so.

As the tide was starting to turn, bolts of energy began to flank the Atlesian force, causing some amount of panic. From the tree-line, a large number of Nerazim Centurions, Stalkers, Annihilators and Dark Archon's began to emerge from the east. The Atlesian force was caught off guard by the sudden Protoss flanking division, giving the Templar an opportunity to strike the surprised force.

Centurions charged into the fray, the void energy dancing around their forms erupting as they collided with the enemy, stunning them briefly. The fresh batch of Stalkers quickly relayed with the force already present, striking at close knit groups before disappearing in the blink of an eye. An Annihilator fired one of its Shadow Cannons at the legs of one of the walkers, quickly crippling it before it was finished off by strikes from cloaked Dark Templar's. The Dark Archon's quickly used their mind warping abilities to force the Atlesian Soldiers to fight one another, a grim ability that sickened Thraos, but one that was also working in their favour.

The Atlesian force quickly began to retreat to the inside of the Garrison, their Paladins having been completely spent and the tide turning back in favour of the Protoss. The Protoss were all too eager to follow, rushing either through the open gates or through the crumpled wall created by the fallen Paladin. Thraos chose the former, bashing a charging Soldier in the face with the back of his arm, the sound of bone crunching echoing through his skin.

By the time he got into the main courtyard, it had turned into a bloodbath, with both the remains of Atlesian Soldiers littering the ground and the remains of destroyed Sentries and Stalkers, along with the occasional Annihilator, Vanguard or Immortal. Thraos watched the devastation, as a Zealot nearly fell flat on his face as he ran down a fleeing Soldier, a Dark Archon quite literally tearing a Soldier in half and another Soldier lifted into the air as if suspended on puppet strings, a Warp Blade in his gut.

"Praetor, their Commanding officer has engaged in battle!" a nearby Centurion shouted, snapping Thraos out of his semi trance state.

Thraos turned to the centre of the courtyard, where a human female with blonde hair dressed in what appeared to be an officers uniform led a small squad of Atlesian Knights, a pair of strange looking short blades in each hand. A lance of Zealot's quickly charged the group, easily tearing through the Atlesian Knights, leaving only the Commander left. That was when the unexpected happened.

The Commanders hands became shrouded in a misty aura where she then slammed them into the ground, shrouding the surrounding area with mist. Thraos watched with narrow eyes as the sounds of combat began to echo from the mist, the sounds of Zealots screaming being the most prominent. The mist quickly dispersed, revealing the human woman stood in the centre, her blades coated in black blood, not a single drop of her own blood spilt.

Thraos could not hide his surprise, blinking rapidly to make sure he wasn't seeing things. A single woman had completely decimated a full lance of Zealot's, without taking a single hit in the process.

"That human..." Thraos muttered. "How is this possible?"

"I can sense great Psionic potential within her!" a High Templar exclaimed, clutching his head in surprise. "She's more powerful then most Terran Ghosts."

"Then we will use that against her!" Thraos announced, turning to the High Templar. "Gather your strongest brethren, feedback her own energy into her!"

"As you wish Praetor." the High Templar nodded, quickly turning around to find more of his brothers.

Thraos then turned to face the Centurion who had first alerted him to the Commanders presence.

"I will do battle with her and try and weaken her for the killing blow." Thraos ordered before pointing to the Centurion. "Gather as many Stalkers and Slayers as you can and box us in. If she shrouds us in mist, assume that I am already dead."

"As you wish Praetor." the Centurion nodded, quickly leaving to carry out the order.

Thraos then turned towards the Commander, who held her blades high in the air as a Lenassa Dark Templar quickly formed around them, the look of shock evident in his eyes. Thraos charged the Commander as she thrust the corpse off the blade and quickly turned to face him. Her swords then suddenly shifted into bayoneted revolvers, quickly causing Thraos to freeze in his tracks at the sight of the weapons.

"What in the name of-"

Thraos was quickly forced to duck as she unleashed a barrage of bullets at the Praetor, who only just managed to dodge the projectiles. He waited until he could hear the satisfying clicks of rounds being spent before charging again, hoping to catch the woman off guard. The revolvers quickly shifted back into swords, which she used to parry the strikes of the Psi Axe, keeping the metal away from the Psionic Blades. Thraos then forced the dual weapons to the ground before shoulder barging her, causing her to stagger from the strike. He then swung forward with his Psi Axe, striking her in the gut. As Thraos stepped back to examine the blow, he was surprised to see no blow there. In fact, even the clothing remained unharmed from the Psionic burns.

"What's the matter?" the woman taunted, snickering loudly as she twirled the blades in her hands. "Never fought a Huntress before?"

"I have fought tougher and fiercer then you." Thraos rebuked, speaking directly into the Huntresses mind.

"Well, hope I don't disappoint." the Huntress replied in a spiteful manner, quickly resuming her assault.

Both the Huntress and Thraos battled one another, Thraos being the physically stronger and intimidating of the two whilst the Huntress was faster and less fatigued. Soon the Centurion returned with a contingent of Stalkers and Slayers, the spider like cyborgs quickly boxing in the two combatants. Most of the Atlesian force had been routed, with mostly Protoss remaining to watch, with only the occasional Soldier still fighting on the walls.

"Keep up if you can!" the Huntress taunted, sliding between Thraos' legs and slashing him in the back, both his shields and his armour protecting him from the strike.

Thraos let out an enraged roar as he charged with renewed vigour, his Psi Axe cleaving through the air around him. Eventually a strike hit true, slashing through the tip of one of the short swords as the Huntress backed off, her face wrought in anger.

"Oh you'll pay for that one big guy." the Huntress seethed as she shifted the damaged sword into its revolver form, where the damage was now mitigated to the tip of the bayonet.

She began to fire at the Praetor, who quickly ducked and dived for cover as the blasts sailed past him. As he lunged however, his Psi Axe flew from his grip, skidding to a halt in the mud, too far for him to retrieve. With a roar of frustration, he clenched his fists, activating the Psi Blades within his gauntlets. He had not used the blades in a long time, making him no doubt rusty with the weapons. The Huntress seemed to sense his discomfort, chuckling loudly to herself.

"What's the matter big shot?" the Huntress taunted, cocking her head to the side as she rested the revolver on her shoulder. "Afraid to lose to a little girl?"

"They say ignorance is bliss..." Thraos murmured, narrowing his eyes angrily at the girl. "Tell me, is that true?"

"Oh?" the Huntress murmured back, holding her mouth to her lips in a mocking manner. "And what am I ignorant about?"

"Your defeat."

Before the Huntress could enquire further, she began to spasm in pain as energy began to weave around her, her weapons clattering to the ground as she fell to her knees. The High Templars had finally returned, and was quick to drain her energy and feedback it into her body. Thraos used this time to retrieve his Psi Axe, kicking it into the air and catching it as he deactivated his Psi Blades. He then approached the Huntress, who had finally stopped squirming from the intense pain. And judging by the wounds she now carried, whatever shielding had been protecting her was completely drained.

"It is over." Thraos announced as he came closer to her form. "You have lost."

""Not...yet..." the Huntress seethed, her hands becoming shrouded in mist once again.

Thraos' eyes widened as he realised what was happening, and he immediately ducked low. The fog quickly shrouded him, hindering his visibility to approximately a foot in front of him. He scanned around him, watching for any sign of the Huntress as red and blue blasts of energy sailed over his head. The attack eventually came from behind, the Huntress wrapping her arms around his neck, causing him to fall to his knees and drop his Psi Axe. Thraos attempted to wrestle the woman off of him, but her grip was surprisingly strong.

Then her hands manoeuvred to the back of his head where his Nerve Cords were and the bottom of his chin. Realising what was about to happen, Thraos fought with renewed vigour when an idea crossed his mind. He quickly rose up, making sure to keep his head low as the Huntress continued in her attempts to snap his neck. Suddenly the sounds of particle disruptor's hitting flesh echoed through him as the Huntresses arms went limp. The mist finally cleared as the Stalkers and Slayers ceased fire, Thraos throwing the body of the dead Huntress off his back.

"Templar!" Thraos bellowed, loud enough for all in the Garrison to hear him. "Their Commander is dead! Victory is ours!"

His cry was met by a torrent of roars as the Templar raised their weapons high into the air, lighting the base in all manner of shades of blue, green and red. Thraos leaned down to retrieve his Psi Axe, turning to face the dead body of the Huntress, her eyes wide in shock and her mouth agape.

"You fought well Warrior." Thraos commented, kneeling down as he closed her eyes. "But not well enough."

Thraos rose up as he joined the rest of his brethren, who were either conversing about the battle or tending to their wounded. The first stage of the plan had worked, now they needed to establish a suitable base of operations before the enemy could strike.

Then the invasion could truly begin.

 **00000000**

 **Hope you all liked the battle that just occurred, thumbs up if you spotted the StarCraft One reference near the beginning. Liked it? Leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	10. Expansion

**Another day, another chapter. And now we've hit double digits (Yay)! Okay, so review response time first. Lord-Krun; glad you liked the chapter, I had a blast writing it up. And some of those questions WILL be answered. Bravo Tango; congrats, you spotted the reference! As for Atlesian and the 'energy bolts', it states in the RWBY Wiki that the Paladin's have 'Energy Cannons' plus to the Protoss, Dust projectiles would look like energy blasts. As for the whole Team system, best to ask Rooster Teeth themselves about that. Edboy4926; glad you liked it. Dragonsoul1; that and the woman had blonde hair as mentioned in the brief description. Cipher96; try telling that to the conquered. Akshka; glad you liked it. And OutlastTheDark; no joke, but that entire battle was based off of the 'Battle of the Mead Way' as portrayed in the novel 'The Eagles Conquest' by Simon Scarrow, which is set during the second Roman invasion of Britain. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 10- Expansion**

Thraos watched as the Probes began the deconstruction of the Atlesian Garrison, using their Particle Beams to slowly eat away at the structural supports of the large building. Soon after their initial victory, another wave of Protoss arrived to begin preparations for constructing a Nexus. In all of their ground campaigns, the Nexus had always been at the heart of an Army, so construction of one was paramount. Unfortunately, the present Garrison they had conquered stood in the way of a suitable foundation, and it was deemed unfit for the Protoss to make use of. After gathering whatever intel they could from the building, the Probes immediately began de-constructing the base making sure that when it did topple, it would not crush either the Protoss or one another.

After gruelling hours of work, the Garrison finally fell, leaving a solid base for the Probes to begin work. One of the Probes hovered over to the centre of the former base, quickly firing one of its many micro-beacons into the centre before buzzing off. The other Probes began doing likewise, placing micro-beacons around the larger one. After many minutes, a Nexus warped from the first micro-beacon, followed quickly by multiple Pylons, Gateways, Robotics Facilities and a Forge.

Once the Expansion was large enough, more structure could be Warped in, such as Shrines for the High and Dark Templar, as well as a Cybernetics Core. But at the moment, they only had enough for what they had, plus a few additional Pylons and Photon Cannons for defence. They could not risk warping in a Stargate, for the structure was so large it had to hover high in the air. Too close to the ground and any ship, no matter how small, could crash into the ground. Too high in the sky and the Protoss might as well have been telegraphing their position to their enemies.

Thraos stepped back slightly as he felt the hum of Warp Energy go off around him, as the first of the relief force began to arrive. They had endured many losses in the initial assault, too few to defend the base, so Executor Velran had deemed it necessary to send in reinforcements. The first of the forces to arrive were the Zealots, who quickly filed out and began to scout the surrounding terrain. Thraos decided it was best to leave the Zealots to their duties, turning around to see how the analysis of the Huntresses body was proceeding.

"Praetor!" a familiar voice called out, causing Thraos to spin around immediately at the sound.

"Alaris!" Thraos exclaimed as he saw the familiar armoured form of his student rush towards him, carefully brushing past other Protoss as he made his way to him. "It is good to see you on the field of battle again!"

As soon as the two Protoss met, they clasped each others forearm and shook it once before relinquishing their grip.

"Likewise Praetor." Alaris responded, nodding his masked head in unison. "I heard the battle was glorious."

"Glorious? Yes, but we lost many good warriors." Thraos said matter of factly, turning away as Alaris followed him.

"Their sacrifice shall be remembered." Alaris stated, holding a clenched fist to his chest. "Is it true what they said? That you fought their Commander one on one and defeated her? And that she had some form of Psionic capability?"

"Yes, that much is true." Thraos answered as he turned to face his student, who watched him with keen eyes. "In fact, I am going to see the Surgeons to see if they have discovered how she could use such abilities. You are welcome to join us if you wish."

"Of course Praetor." Alaris responded with a nod. "After all, it is best to know ones enemy if you wish to be victorious."

"Indeed it is." Thraos chuckled, glad that at least now his student was starting to catch onto his lessons. "Come, it is not far from here."

The two Zealots proceeded to walk in unison, the others they passed saluting Thraos in respect whilst others simply nodded or bowed in acknowledgement. Eventually, they made their way to the main Warp Gate, which hummed to life as the two Protoss approached. Seconds later, Warp energy surrounded the two as they were quickly warped back aboard the main Mothership, where another Legion of Protoss awaited deployment. Thraos and Alaris made their way through the long spanning corridors of the vessel, eventually finding themselves in a large room where a Khalai surgeon was performing an autopsy on the Huntress, many cuts and insertions ranging across her body.

"Ah, Praetor." the surgeon said as he bowed softly. "I'm glad you could make it, I have made quite a few interesting discoveries courtesy of our specimen here."

"What have you learned?" Thraos asked, wishing to cut right to the point rather then mince words.

"Well, it appears as though our friend here was protected by a 'natural shield' of sorts." the surgeon explained, holding one of the Huntresses limp limbs as he examined the muscle structure beneath the skin. "If the files that Ilaris are anything to go by, then I suspect that this was her 'Aura'."

"Aura?" Thraos murmured as he looked over the corpse before him. "That explains how she lasted so long against me."

"How does it work?" Alaris questioned, stepping forward slightly as he entered the conversation.

The Khalai surgeon blinked slightly before turning to face Thraos. Thraos simply nodded, giving him the go ahead to reply to the query.

"Well..." the surgeon began, falling silent as he gathered his notes on the matter. "...from what little I have gathered this Aura is considered the manifestation of their Souls. The strength of the Aura changes depending on the subject, but it is usually activated through either the use of 'Dust' or is unlocked by someone who already has Aura."

"Dust?" Alaris asked, confusion evident in his tone. "But the Phase Smiths stated it was useless!"

"I believe that is a question for the Phase Smiths, I am merely a surgeon." the surgeon replied matter of factly.

Alaris quickly composed himself, nodding softly before stepping back, the conversation now slipping back between Thraos and the surgeon.

"This Aura, is it the manifestation of their soul? Or is it more familiar to us?" Thraos questioned, wishing to get the bottom of a thought that had been plaguing him since the battle. The High Templar had mentioned that the Huntress was a vast vessel of Psionic energy, yet she had not chosen to manifest it.

"As far as I can tell...no." the surgeon simply replied, shaking his head slightly. "My research indicates that it is in actuality their Soul powering this shield."

"What?" Thraos nearly shouted, pausing only to compose himself before continuing. "Are you certain?"

"I'm afraid so Praetor." the surgeon replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I am sorry if this information displeases you."

"But the Templar...they fed her own energy back into her." Thraos continued to ramble, his mind trying to wrap around what he had just been informed.

"That does not necessarily mean it was Psionic energy they fed back into her, sir." Alaris replied, stepping forward again. "Our High Templar are also able to do the same thing with Terran robotics."

"The young Zealot is correct." the surgeon replied, nodding in Alaris' direction slightly in recognition. "It is highly possible they simply feed the energy exhumed by her Soul to generate her Aura into her body."

"That...is possible I suppose." Thraos conceded, nodding slowly as another query wormed its way into his mind. "There was something else that she could do though, she could generate some strange mist from her hands...could that potentially be Psionic in nature?"

"It is possible..." the surgeon hummed as he tapped his chin in thought. "Though I will not be able to make such a judgement with just this body, I would need to study more. I would greatly appreciate it if you procured me the bodies of those who display such abilities so I could study it."

"I will try my best, though I think you'll find it will be much easier to perform field studies rather then being cooped up in here all day." Thraos nodded, earning a small bow from the surgeon in return. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

"By your leave Praetor." the surgeon replied, giving a quick salute to the Praetor. "Adun Toridas."

"Adun Toridas." Thraos responded, leaving the room seconds later.

Thraos and Alaris quickly walked down the corridor, eventually making it to the main hall of the Mothership where the two stopped to discuss what to do further.

"You go on ahead Alaris, warp back to the Nexus." Thraos ordered as he nodded towards the Warp Gate stationed there. "I must make a trip to the Forge before I join you."

"How come?" Alaris asked with curiosity, his head tilted to the side slightly. "Was your armour or weaponry damaged during the battle?"

"No, but I was disarmed during the duel." Thraos responded as he looked at his gauntlets, clenching and unclenching his fists slowly. "I think t would do me good to have my Psi Blades reactivated, lest it happen again."

"Understood Praetor." Alaris nodded knowingly, quickly saluting him as he began to back off. "En Taro Tassadar."

"En Taro Tassadar." Thraos responded likewise, saluting himself as he backed away and made his course for the on-board Forge.

Under normal circumstances, Alaris would have followed the orders and simply reported back to the Nexus and awaited his Praetor's return, but something had begun to nag at his mind at the thought of the 'Dust'. Was it possible that perhaps it wasn't as useless as it first appeared to be? There was only one way to find out. When their forces had captured the Garrison, they had requisitioned everything, including multiple Dust caches to study. If he was fortunate, the Dust would be being studied by the Engineers within the Forge at the Nexus rather then on-board the Mothership.

As he approached the Warp Gate, he changed the coordinates to Warp him directly into the Forge rather than at a designated Pylon. He quickly felt the cool wisps of Warp energy surround his form as he was transported to the ground. The cool energy was quickly replaced by a near blistering heat as his surroundings began to materialise, quickly finding himself within the main chambers of the Forge. Phase Smiths of all clans worked around him, constructing stronger plates for their armour, and rewiring the workings of their weapons and shields to make them sharper and denser respectively.

He quickly approached who he assumed was the head Phase Smith, a Nerazim judging from the abundance of Zerg trophies on his armour, and stood behind him, the craftsman seemingly unaware of his presence, too embroiled with his work.

"Excuse me Phase Smith, if I may have a moment..." Alaris suddenly spoke, causing the Phase Smith to nearly jump up in surprise as he turned around, backing away upon realising how close Alaris was.

"Templar!" the Phase Smith bellowed in shock, quickly composing himself at the sight at what was effectively a superior officer. "Forgive me, I was not expecting company."

"The fault is with me Phase Smith." Alaris quickly defending, placing a hand on his chest. "I have come to speak with you on a potentially delicate matter."

"I see..." the Phase Smith replied as his emerald eyes scanned his armour up and down. "Are you experiencing a problem with your shielding? Or are your Psi Blades malfunctioning in any way?"

"No, my armour and weaponry are fine Phase Smith." Alaris explained, igniting his Psi Blade to prove his point before deactivating it. "I have come to speak with you on the matters of this...Dust."

"Dust?" the Phase Smith questioned, before his eyes widened in realisation. "I see...this way Templar."

The Phase Smith led Alaris to another section of the Forge, far away from the others within the complex. After passing through a door, Alaris found himself within a small workshop, no bigger than what Terran's called 'a house', where a small number of Phase Smiths and Probes were examining Dust crystals of many different shapes, sizes and colours. The Phase Smith Alaris had first spoken too led him to an unoccupied work station, a small number of Dust crystals surrounding him.

"What have you managed to discover?" Alaris asked as he picked a green crystal off of the table, examining it carefully before placing it down again.

"A lot more then we did on-board the Mothership, that much is certain." the Phase Smith replied, the joy in his voice clearly heard. "These crystals are exhuming a large amount of power, similar to the Minerals found within the Korprulu Sector, perhaps even more powerful."

"If so, then why did they lose that power on the Mothership?" Alaris questioned, picking up a red Dust crystal and examining as he had before.

"I cannot say, perhaps it requires a certain atmospheric pressure to remain active." the Phase Smith replied, not entirely sure of the answer himself. "But we do know one thing, they are extremely volatile."

"How volatile?" Alaris asked, the red Dust crystal still in his hand.

Before the Phase Smith could respond, a small explosion behind them shook the room, causing everyone inside to turn in its direction. A small fire had started as a Probe quickly shot out of the flames, beeping wildly as the fire covered its shielding, speeding around in circles in complete panic. Eventually, the fires coating its form died down as the Probe sped to a stop. Not long after, another Probe emerged from the flames, its plating covered in soot as it slowly floated towards the other Probe, hitting it in the back of its head with one of its wings before floating away.

"Oh..." Alaris murmured as he very carefully placed the red crystal back on the table, stepping away slightly as Engineers rushed to deal with the flames before they could spread.

"Indeed, and that was just a small sample." the Phase Smith responded, shuddering as he imagined the damage a much larger quantity could achieve.

"Do you think it would be possible to integrate these Dust crystals into our armour and weapons?" Alaris queried, turning to face the Phase Smith once again. "To give them different offensive and defensive properties?"

"I haven't thought of it, but I can see your line of thinking." the Phase Smith responded, scratching his chin in thought. "As of now, not likely. We would need more samples to experiment with to ensure it is safe, and there is the possibility that our own weapons are already superior to anything we could make out of it."

"I'll discuss the matter with the Praetor, see what he thinks of it." Alaris offered, earning a small nod from the Phase Smith in return.

"I see...regardless, we will need Dust crystals whether we use them or not, so we know best how to exploit them to our benefit." the Phase Smith explained, quickly standing to attention as he turned to address Alaris. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my duties."

"I have kept you long enough Phase Smith." Alaris replied, giving the Phase Smith a quick salute. "May your deeds bring you glory."

"And you as well Templar." the Phase Smith responded, turning to leave the young Zealot to ponder just what he had learned.

 **00000000**

The Hybrid hissed as it shook the many chains wrapped around its form, each one jingling as they collided with one another. The chains were weak as it already knew, nowhere near as strong as the Terran's Neo-steel or any metal made by the Firstborn. All of this was just a display, to make Cinder Fall feel as though she was in charge. It had already taken control of her two lackeys, the thief Emerald Sustrai and the assassin Mercury Black. It wouldn't be long until it had control of the weak minded Faunus within the prison, and the Grimm imprisoned alongside it would take little convincing.

The only problem was Cinder, who had thus far resisted every attempt to dominate her mind. She was strong, that much it would give her, but she wasn't entirely invulnerable. It had managed to block her link to her Master, Salem, in an attempt to sow a discord between the two. Perhaps if she thought she had been abandoned, it would make her vulnerable to its attempts of domination. But despite the sweetness it felt at such thoughts, its mind could not help but feel lost.

Ever since its awakening, it had heard nothing from its brethren, or even Amon himself. It was meant to be glorious, the first of a new generation of Hybrid Reaver's, fused with the essence of the Grimm. But its glory was cut short when it was injured, and it was forced to hide away and wait out the campaign. It had awoken, only when the Firstborn had arrived on the planet and engaged with the natives, something that confused it greatly.

They should have all been dead, slain by Amon during his grand awakening. The words he once whispered into his head were now silent, causing it great sorrow as it came to one single explanation.

He was dead, they were all dead. He was the last Hybrid on this planet, possibly the Universe. There would be no glorious age where only Hybrid and Amon ruled, no final darkness to break the Unending Cycle.

But that would not stop it from finishing its task.

It would bring the eternal darkness upon this planet, and if it failed and died trying, then it would ensure to drag the rest of this miserable planet down with it. The Hybrid let out the equivalent of a bestial chuckle as it felt the presence of two Grunts within the White Fang. Already, it was whispering into their heads, breaking down their sanity so they were now nothing more but a lump of clay within its hands.

Now, it was time to expand operations.

 **00000000**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Liked it? Feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	11. True Honour

**Another day, another chapter. Let's get down to responses shall we? Lord-Krun; glad you liked it, and who knows, perhaps they'll encounter more Huntsman and Huntresses sooner then you think. Bravo Tango; glad you also liked it, and if there's one thing I hate, it's unnecessary exposition, so glad I dodged that bullet. OutlastTheDark; don't remind me of...THOSE things. That Hybrid is SO edgy and mysterious! Edboy4926; you know, that is an excellent question. Why? Because it made me realise that this fic isn't as solid as I originally thought. That said, a big change to the story will be occurring in this chapter. Oh, and to answer your question, after multiple bits of research I've estimated that not including the Void Rays and fighter Pilots there's about over 8,000 Protoss in this expedition fleet. Now you can probably understand why a big change is coming. That said, I have a special announcement for the end of this chapter. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 11- True Honour**

 **Weeks after the initial invasion…**

Alaris watched from the safety of the trees as multiple Warp signatures arrived in Remnant's orbit. Executor Velran had made contact with the Daelaam Council back on Aiur, informing them of the new planet, and the war they had become embroiled in. In response, Hierarch Artanis had approved the Invasion as long as they were confident the Humans were not aligned with the Terran Dominion. As a token of his support, Artanis had sent multiple Carriers and Motherships to Velran's location, with promises of more to come once the Golden Armada was fully organised.

The first batch of relief ships could not have come any sooner, for the Atlas Soldiers quickly retaliated against the fledgling Protoss Base. Were it not for the arrival of reinforcements, the Invasion would have come to an abrupt end there and then. More Outposts had been constructed to accommodate the new attack force, and with sting operations being commanded by Thraos against the enemies supply lines, the likelihood of victory was becoming more and more realistic. Hence why Alaris was in his current situation.

He jumped down from his perch, landing in the centre of a group of Zealot's and Stalkers, who all turned in his direction as he landed. Upon informing Thraos of the properties of Dust, he had initially been wary to delve deeper into the matter, as he needed every body available for combat. However, now with reinforcements arriving on a near weekly basis, he could now faithfully send out a few troops without worry of being undermanned. Alaris had been selected on a mission to gather more Dust crystals in an area their readings indicated was known as 'The Emerald Forest'. It was close to one of their Cities, but was mostly unused save for the occasional operation in the area.

Their Warp Prism had managed to infiltrate the sector unhindered, despite what seemed like the beginning of some festival. The mission was simple; Warp in, deal with any hostiles encountered, gather Dust crystals for research and then Warp back to base. So far, they had been successful in the first two objectives, but had little luck in finding any Dust crystals.

"What are your orders, Sir?" a Zealot spoke up, stepping forward so he was in Alaris' line of sight.

Alaris nearly ignored the question, almost forgetting that he was in charge of the small task force. Being a superior was still new to him, a fact not lost on some of the older veterans amongst him. After a few minutes of silence, Alaris turned to face the Zealot who questioned him, the warrior stood silently as he awaited an answer.

"Send out the Stalkers to scout the area, the rest of us will fan out." Alaris ordered, earning nods of compliance from the other Protoss. "If anyone of us enters combat, or finds the objective, report immediately and regroup to their location."

The Zealot's and Stalkers all nodded once again in compliance, quickly fanning out in search of Dust crystals. The Stalkers moved well ahead of the Zealot's, using their Void Displacers to move ahead of the main force, 'blinking' into tree branches to gain better vantage points. Alaris stood still for just a moment before moving off himself, activating his Psi Blades as he cut through the foliage with ease. If fortune was on his side, this would be nice and quick.

 **00000000**

"Come on! I think it went this way!" Ruby shouted as she sped through the Emerald Forest, her eyes scanning the ground for any disturbances.

"Are you insane?! It went this way!" Weiss shrieked as she swung _Myrtenaster_ up in the air, pointing in the opposite direction.

"You're both wrong! It went this way!" Yang then shouted, pointing in a completely different direction.

"Maybe we should actually check the tracks first." Blake suggested, her voice almost a whisper in comparison to her team-mates yelling. "Maybe then we can figure out where it went."

"Fine, be boring why don't you..." Yang muttered as she knelt down on the ground, examining the muddied floor for any prints.

Weiss and Ruby did likewise, kneeling on the ground for any disturbances in the soil or any traces of blood. Only just earlier whilst practising for the Tournament did they spot what was undoubtedly an Alpha Beowolf, the Grimm not even aware of their presence. Ruby had managed to fire a shot at it from afar, and not knowing where the bullet had actually come from, the Alpha Grimm had instead fled the area, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. And that led them to their current predicament. They'd lost sight of the Grimm, hence their current situation. They knew they had to be quick, if the Alpha recovered from both the wound and shock quick enough and decided it wanted a little payback, then the Hunted could easily become the Hunter.

"Got nothing here." Yang shouted out, standing up as she brushed the dirt off of her hands, turning around to face the other members of her team. "You?"

"Found some!" Ruby shouted triumphantly, nearly leaping into the air as she rose up. "That means I was right and you were wrong!"

"Hey, come look at this..." Weiss suddenly spoke up, her eyes narrowed at the tracks in front of her. "Have you seen anything like this before?"

The rest of her team-mates quickly went to her side, looking intensely at the tracks in front of Weiss. They looked like holes in the dirt, and were quite far apart meaning whatever made them was big, and judging how deep they went, also quite heavy.

"What the heck..." Yang mumbled, scratching the back of her head as she observed the tracks. "What do you think made those?"

"I...I don't know..." Blake replied, nearly as dumbstruck as her partner was. "I've never heard of any Grimm that can make tracks like that."

"Oh! Maybe it's one of those alien things that have been in the news recently!" Ruby suggested rather excitedly, bouncing up and down on the spot as she spoke.

"Do you actually believe that rubbish on the news?" Weiss sighed as she shook her head when Ruby's response was to rapidly nod her head.

Nearly a week ago, the news had reported that the Atlas Military had been engaged by 'hostile extraterrestrial life forms'. Of course the news spread like wild fire with a whole manner of conspiracy theories popping up. Of course, Weiss refused to believe such hubris. Sure, Atlas had fought strange creatures about a year ago that threatened to wipe out all life on Remnant, but that was different. They didn't come from the sky for starters. Winter had arrived a few days ago with a new battalion of Atlas troops to reinforce the Academy, but when questioned on the matter she refused to speak of it. She just hadn't been the same since what had happened, something that admittedly troubled Weiss.

"Well whatever it is, it can't have gone far." Blake suddenly spoke up, knocking Weiss out of her thoughts. "Look, these tracks are still fresh."

"Shall we follow them?" Yang asked, shrugging her shoulders slightly as she spoke.

"But what about the Alpha?!" Weiss complained, pointing in the direction Ruby had said it went. She wasn't just going to give up on chasing a solid lead for a potential wild goose chase!

"Who cares about the Alpha?" Ruby responded, rolling her eyes as she spoke. "We all know aliens trump Grimm!"

"Since when?!" Weiss spat back, huffing in anger when Ruby elected to ignore her.

"Come on! This way!" Ruby shouted as she followed the new set of tracks, followed closely by Blake and Yang.

"Oh for the love of..." Weiss began, not finding the willpower to finish her sentence as she instead let out a frustrated growl as she stormed after her team-mates. "Wait up!"

Weiss quickly caught sight of the rest of her friends, who had somehow managed to bypass the thick foliage in front of her a lot easier then she was currently, often growling in anger when her combat skirt got caught on a stray branch or she ended up walking directly into a very large spider web, the sticky silk getting caught in her hair easily. Weiss stumbled around when she started to spit out some of the silk that had gotten caught in her mouth, bumping into and nearly knocking over Yang who had for some reason stopped in her tracks.

"Watch where you're going!" Yang hissed quietly, bringing her finger to her lips quickly afterwards.

"What are you talking about?!" Weiss hissed back, pulling the last few strands of silk out of her hair.

In response, Yang simply pointed forward, where the gazes of both Ruby and Blake were locked. Weiss followed the length of her finger, and gasped at the sight before her. Standing a good few metres ahead was...something. It was big, bigger then she had anticipated. It was quite tall, with a steel blue metal hull around its body. A purple shroud of some form covered what looked to be its face, with a pair of green eyes peering out at its surroundings. At the base of the body were six limbs, two feeler like apparatus' at the front and four long spider like legs supporting it. Judging from the way it moved and observed its surroundings, it was searching for something.

"Oh my god..." Weiss whispered as her hand went to her mouth. "They...they weren't lying..."

"Holy crap you guys!" Yang whispered in excitement, leaning forward slightly. "We've found ourselves an alien!"

Without another word, Ruby slowly switched her Scroll on, activating the devices camera mode as she held it up to take a picture of the alien, which was at this moment unaware of their presence.

"This is SO going on social media!" Ruby whispered as she quickly tapped her screen, a bright flash emanating from the front of the Scroll as it took a picture.

The alien's reaction was instant, wildly looking around as it tried to detect the source of the light, its fleshy head snapping to both the left and right of its body.

"Dammit Ruby!" Yang whispered harshly as she quickly ducked to avoid the aliens line of sight. "Why didn't you switch off the flash?!"

"I'm sorry! I thought it was off!" Ruby defended as she began to check the settings on her Scroll.

"Wait!" Blake suddenly whispered, causing all to turn towards her. "Don't move, I think it saw us."

All slowly turned their heads to face the alien, which was slowly gazing in their direction, its emerald green eyes narrowed into concentrated slits. Then suddenly, with a blue flash, the alien disappeared right before their eyes.

"Where'd it go?" Ruby asked in a hushed tone, looking around expectantly for the alien to reappear.

Almost as if on cue, there was a loud humming noise behind the Huntresses, as they caught sight of a bright blue light emanating from behind them. Slowly, the Huntresses turned around, the alien staring intently at the group, its eyes burning with rage. It then caught sight of Ruby's Scroll, quickly raising a leg and knocked it from her hand, sending the device flying towards the dirt with a dull thud.

"Uh...hi..." Ruby chuckled nervously, waving slowly at the alien, whose glare seemed to intensify at the gesture. "So...funny story-"

"Run!" Yang quickly interrupted, delivering a sweeping kick to one the aliens legs, sending it tumbling to the ground quickly as a blue dome flickered around it. Yang then delivered a kick to the aliens fleshy face, dazing it further as the dome flickered again from the impact.

The four used the aliens stunned state to quickly break cover and run forward, intent on putting as much distance between them and the alien. As they ran however, Weiss quickly skidded to a halt, turning around and holding _Myrtenaster_ out in front of her.

"Weiss! What the heck are you doing?!" Ruby shouted as she turned to face her team-mate, who was as still as a statue. "We have no idea how strong that thing is! We need to get out of here now!"

"I think not!" Weiss rebutted, turning around to face Ruby as she held _Myrtenaster_ out towards the forest, the sound of the aliens clanking feet coming closer. "We are Huntresses! It's our duty to protect the innocent and defenceless from any threat, Grimm or otherwise! And I'll be damned if I turn and run from some freakish, spider legged cyborg that can-"

Weiss was interrupted as she let out a shrill shriek, quickly ducking as blue bolts of energy were fired in her direction. Upon following the trail of energy, it was quickly discovered that the alien had fired them from ports on its main body, and it wasn't relenting any time soon judging by the rate of fire.

"Okay, maybe running is a good idea!" Weiss relented as she quickly ran towards Ruby, who had a dumbfounded look on her face.

"You think?!" Ruby responded as she continued forward, Weiss not far behind her.

The sounds of clanking metal became louder as the alien came closer to them, bolts of blue energy occasionally flying over their heads. It wasn't long until Ruby and Weiss caught up with Blake and Yang, who had managed to get further ahead when Weiss had made her 'brave stand'. Suddenly, a flash of blue light erupted in front of them as the alien rapidly appeared before them, standing defiantly on top of a perch of rocks, its bulk blocking their path.

"Well..." Yang muttered as she activated _Ember Celica_ , holding her fists out in front of her. "It's been real fun."

The other Huntresses nodded solemnly as they readied their weapons, the alien watching them intently as it decided on the best course of attack. Before either could however, a loud howl emanated from the forest, causing all of them to turn and face in its direction. The howl came forth again, this time louder and closer. The alien quickly panicked, backing away rapidly as it quickly teleported away, rushing out into the thicket of the forest.

"Er...any idea where that came from?" Ruby asked as she scanned the forest, _Crescent Rose_ held tightly in her grip.

"No..." Weiss replied as she rapidly turned at every movement in the foliage, the howl sounding again.

There was a tense silence as suddenly the sound of heavy panting and breathing, followed by an angered snarl echoed behind them, a large pair of amber eyes staring intently at Team RWBY.

"Guys...I think that Alpha found us instead..." Blake murmured as all four turned in its direction.

Without another word or sound, the Alpha quickly burst through the clearing, its large wolf like frame a stark contrast to its speed as it landed in front of the Huntresses, letting out a savage roar of defiance. Ruby was the first to react, quickly taking aim with _Crescent Rose_ as she prepared to fire a bullet into its eye. The Alpha reacted just as quickly, raising its hand and grabbing hold of the barrel of the Sniper Rifle, raising it just above its head and causing her to waste the bullets. The Beowolf then pulled the weapon forward, causing it to slip from Ruby's grip as it then swiped forward, knocking her back to the floor.

Weiss quickly thrust forward with _Myrtenaster_ , aiming for the wound that Ruby had caused when they first spotted it. The Alpha roared in anger and pain as the tip of the blade gouged the wound, drawing fresh blood. In response, the Alpha swung back with its left paw, knocking Weiss to the ground with _Myrtenaster_ still stuck in its leg. The Alpha snarled as it used _Crescent Rose_ to swing out at the rapier, knocking the blade out of the wound before discarding the Sniper Scythe. Blake quickly began to fire rounds from _Gambol Shroud_ at the Alpha, causing it to raise its arms up in defence as it swung out in front of it, only to instead hit a shadow clone as Blake leapt over it.

In the apex of her leap however, the Alpha managed to grasp hold of her ankle, causing her to gasp in shock as it then swung down, causing her to crash into the earth. As the Alpha raised a claw to finish the job, Yang charged forward, blasting the side of the Alpha's face and causing it to stagger backwards from the blow. As the Alpha recovered, she hooked her legs around its neck and swung onto its back, quickly firing _Ember Celica_ where the neck and skull connected, hoping for a quick kill. The Alpha wasn't deterred however, growling loudly as it grappled with the Brawler, quickly grabbing her with one of its claws and holding her aloft, raising another claw to gut her with.

"Oh no you don't!" Ruby shouted as she retrieved _Crescent Rose_ , rushing forward with assistance from her Semblance and swiping at the Alpha's left leg again, causing it to drop to its knee and release the Brawler.

"Okay, new plan of attack!" Ruby shouted as she and Yang backed away from the angered Grimm, whilst Blake and Weiss recovered their weapons. "Aim for the left leg, it's the weakest spot! Yang, you kite it. Blake and I will strike when we can whilst Weiss offers support whenever possible!"

"Right!" Yang, Blake and Weiss all said at once, taking positions seconds later.

With the Huntresses circling the Grimm, it began to look around warily, well aware that any move made by either could be its last. The Alpha then let out a determined snarl as it rushed towards Ruby, claw raised high above its head. A blast to the side of its head quickly disorientated it however, causing it to tumble and fall.

"Hey ugly!" Yang shouted, waving her hands in the air to get the Grimm's attention. "Has anyone told you lately how bad your breath stinks?! Man, no wonder you have no lady Beowolves following you around!"

The Alpha let out a snarl of annoyance at the Brawlers impudence, quickly rushing forward to strike the woman down. A bright yellow glyph quickly appeared beneath her feet as the Beowolf swung down, the Brawler disappearing to the Alpha's right where she fired another barrage of blasts at its head, staggering it further.

"Come on! You can do better then that!" Yang taunted as she reloaded _Ember Celica_.

The Alpha roared in frustration as it charged yet again, only to stumble upon being slashed at its left leg, causing it to howl in discomfort. It turned sharply to see Ruby stood behind it, her Scythe coated in a thin layer of blood. As the Beowolf turned to attack her, Yang fired yet another blast, causing it turn and snarl in her direction, charging forward yet again. A wall of ice quickly erupted in front of her, causing the Alpha to try and skid to a halt as it crashed into it, slipping onto its back in the process.

Blake then dashed forward, striking multiple times with _Gambol Shroud_ , causing multiple slashes to appear on the already growing wound. The Beowolf howled in pain as it kicked out with its foot, causing the Faunus to slide back and skid to a halt. The Beowolf then charged forward, slashing at Blake who quickly dodged the blow, leaping behind it and firing a round from _Gambol Shroud_ , hitting its shoulder and causing it to stumble onto its side.

As the Alpha slowly picked itself off of the floor, it spotted something in the corner of its eye. Weiss was beginning to power up a Glyph in front of Ruby, who was aiming her weapon through the centre of the Glyph. Quickly realising it was she who was responsible for its previous failures, it let out a snarl as it planned its next attack.

As the Glyph finished formation, Ruby fired a round from _Crescent Rose_ , the Dust infused bullet speeding towards the downed Alpha in seconds. However, at the last moment, the Alpha leapt to the side, the propulsion from the Dust infused bullet aiding it in its leap. The Alpha landed on a rocky outcropping, and then leapt towards Weiss, who barely had enough time to register the danger. As she raised _Myrtenaster_ up to defend her self, the Alpha tackled her to the ground, grasping her in its claws and roared defiantly at the other Huntresses, who were too stunned to even move. With its quarry in hand, the Alpha then leapt into the undergrowth, its howls of triumph drowning out Weiss' protests.

"Let me go you freak!" Weiss demanded as she slammed her fists into the Beowolf's paws, though the attacks seemed to go unnoticed by the much stronger Grimm.

With each leap, Weiss knew it would be harder for her team-mates to find her, and even more so her chances of survival. She knew what the Alpha was doing, taking her back to its den so it could feast on her in peace. A fate Weiss wasn't exactly happy about. With _Myrtenaster_ still in her hand, she thrust forward with the blade, piercing the Alpha's gut. The Grimm howled in pain as it registered the blow, tripping over its feet as it fell to the ground, Weiss flying from its grip.

As Weiss slowly got up, the Beowolf shook its head as it turned to face her, letting out an angered howl as it clutched where _Myrtenaster_ had struck. Even in its current state, she knew she was severely outmatched without her team. Slowly backing away from the Alpha, she didn't register the slope behind her, rolling backwards with a loud yelp. The Alpha took this as an opportunity, carefully making its way down the slope as it attempted to grab hold of Weiss' flailing body, making sure not to fall itself.

Weiss eventually managed to stop rolling as she came to a standstill, the slope retreating into a narrow cave, which she wilfully descended down. She backed away from the mouth of the cave, hoping that the Alpha was just too large to fit through. That assumption was soon made redundant however, as she felt her heels clatter against stone. Looking down, she saw she had stepped on a human skeleton, the bones still dripping with stained blood. She nearly gagged at the sight, backing away from the skeleton before quickly stepping forward, the Alpha having forced itself halfway through into the cave.

Realising that this must have been the creatures den all along, Weiss let out a silent sob as she came to the assumption that this would be the end. She knew that her team-mates would never think to look down here, and her bones would simply be added to the collection already present. The Alpha was nearly all the way through now, and inside the cave it would have the advantage for sure. So consumed by her grief, she nearly missed the golden armoured warrior behind her…

 **00000000**

Alaris was pleased to say that so far, fortune was indeed on his side. None of his warriors had reported any trouble they couldn't handle, and he believed he had hit what the Terran's referred to as a 'jackpot'. He found small traces of blue Dust crystals outside the mouth of a cave, no doubt a larger quantity inside the cave. Entering the cave proved to be the hard part, the gap being quite tight to push through. Upon finally entering the cave, he was immediately on alert at the sight of human bones inside. The cave must have been some creatures lair, meaning he would have to be quick in case it returned.

Deeper into the cave, he had found a large quantity of the strange crystals, their blue hue blending perfectly with his own Psi Blades. He made sure not to let the Psionic weapons come into contact with the Dust, remembering what had happened to that Probe a few weeks ago. Regardless, he had found the objective, meaning it was time to report it in so they could proceed with harvesting.

"All warriors, this is Templar Alaris." Alaris spoke to his fellow warriors. "I have found the objective, sending coordinates immediately."

"Coordinates received Templar." he heard a voice reply, a fellow Zealot judging by the deep bass of the voice. "We are en-route to your location, stand by."

As the communication halted, Alaris spun around at the sound of growling behind him, coming closer by the second. Immediately, he activated his Psi Blades, the blue blades acting as a light source in the darkness of the cave. He scanned his surroundings, taking not of all the locations the creature could come from. As he continued to turn, he heard the patter of rushing feet behind him and spun around...to see a child in front of him.

His eyes, which had been narrowed into hate filled slits, quickly widened in shock at the sight before him. Were it not for his warrior training and discipline, he would have cleaved right through her. The young woman, who must have only been an adolescent, quickly yelped in shock as she fell on her rear, backing away from him as she held her sword out, which shook in her hand. Despite the determined glare on the young woman's face, he could tell by the redness of her eyes that she had been crying recently. Alaris approached the woman, who instinctively backed away from him, the sword in her hand continuing to shake.

She was afraid.

A roar quickly broke the silence, causing both to turn in its direction. Weiss let out a panicked moan as the Alpha finally caught up with her, snarling in triumph as it approached her cowering form. It then looked up however, catching sight of Alaris, who stood defiantly with Psi Blades far apart. The Alpha turned and roared at the new threat, charging forward on all fours. Alaris quickly moved forward, leaping forward as he drew a Psi Blade back, slashing forward in a wide arc as the Beowolf's arms swung over his head.

The two ground to a halt seconds later, both as still as statues. Weiss wasn't sure which she wanted to win, at least with the Alpha she knew what would happen to her. Then, the Beowolf let out a pained moan as it slumped to the ground, disintegrating seconds later. Alaris quickly stood to full height, clashing his Psi Blades together as a show of victory.

He then quickly turned to meet the Weiss' gaze, who shuffled away instinctively upon locking eyes. Her breathing had become more rapid, her chest rising and deflating with every breath she took. Alaris was...confused as to what to do. Clearly the second he turned his back, he knew the woman would try and attack him, in an attempt at self defence no doubt. Yet despite this, he couldn't bring himself to strike her down. There was no honour in it, regardless of if it was self defence on his part. As he continued to study the Weiss, the sound of feet approaching quickly caught both their attention.

"Quickly! His coordinates lead down here!" the voice of a Templar bellowed faintly.

"Down there?! Are you certain?!" another questioned almost incredulously. "Surely it is too tight?"

"By Adun you are difficult!" the first Templar complained. "Go down there now or I'll have you warped all the way to Char for your insolence!"

The sound of shuffling followed quickly as the two Zealot's began to clamber through, causing Alaris to snap his head towards Weiss. Would his fellow Templar see this in the same light as he did? There was the possibility that they would, but there was also the risk they wouldn't. Looking back towards the mouth of the cave, where he could now hear his fellow Templar approaching, he turned again to Weiss, who was still stood still.

"Go!" Alaris ordered, nodding towards one of the many cave tunnels, hoping it possibly led to an exit. "Run!"

Weiss didn't need telling twice, staggering to her feet as she quickly ran towards the cave, the sight of Alaris getting smaller as two others like him quickly came into view. Weiss could not believe what she had seen, two aliens in the same day, and one of them had saved her. At least if this cave did lead somewhere. Soon, light came into her sight again as she brushed apart a large clump of foliage, taking a deep breath of air as she found herself in the Emerald Forest once again. She caught sight of something red to her right and turned, sighing in relief when she spotted Ruby and the rest of her friends, searching for her no doubt.

"Hey!" Weiss shouted, waving her hand around in order to grab their attention. "Over here!"

Her partner and friends quickly stopped in their tracks and turned to face her, quickly running towards her.

"Weiss!" Ruby yelled as she grabbed hold of the Heiresses free hand, pulling her to the surface with a sharp tug. "Oh god, we were so worried about you! It's all my fault! If I'd been paying more attention I should have known that the Alpha was going to-"

"Ruby." Weiss interrupted, silencing her team-mate as the rest of her friends quickly surrounded her. "You won't believe what just happened."

 **00000000**

 **Hope you liked that chapter, it was pretty fun to write actually. Managed to sneak in a tiny Carbot Animations reference in their, so kudos to whoever spots it. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either leave in your reviews or PM me.**

 **Raging Archon ou-oh wait! I nearly forgot the announcement!**

 **I'm going to be starting a new RWBY/StarCraft crossover! But only after this one, and also after Volume 4 has finished. I can't reveal any major details, but I can tell you what it'll be called. 'RWBY: The Shadow Master'. I'd like to hear your thoughts and speculation on what it will be about.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	12. Reunion

**Another day, another chapter. First, review response time. TheCasualReader; yes, join us! DeathTheManiac; I wouldn't place such hope on a war based fic. Edboy4926; thanks for the compliment, and believe me, I've seen way crazier ideas then your Jaune=Zeratul reincarnated theory. Bravo Tango; sympathy towards an adolescent, if she was a few years older it would have gone down a lot differently. And you're right about one thing (at the moment), it WILL be set on Remnant. Lord-Krun; the Protoss existence is public knowledge, but as is the case when the News reports on Alien sightings, they are hardly believed. Besides, whilst Ironwood would approve of the media knowing about Alien activity, I doubt he would approve of them showing how more advanced the enemy actually is. Akshka; that was a lot of speculation for one review. RebelRaven4; that last one though… And OutlastTheDark; you REALLY don't like the Schnee's, do you? Also, can't believe no one spotted the Carbot Animations reference! What, am I the only guy who watches that stuff? For those wondering, it was when the Stalker knocked the Scroll out of Ruby's hand (See StarCrafts S3E8: Nexus Holdem). Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 12- Reunion**

"Wait, so you're saying one of those things saved your life?" Ruby asked incredulously, staring blankly at Weiss as if she'd said something stupid.

"Yes, I'm telling you that's what happened." Weiss replied, sighing loudly in exasperation.

"You mean right after that other one tried to kill us?" Yang added, raising an eyebrow as she awaited Weiss' response.

"Yes. But it looked different. It was more...organic then that other one." Weiss said, shuddering slightly as she recalled the arachnid like alien that may have been related to her saviour. She was still convinced that was flesh on its head.

"And this is right before it killed the Alpha?" Blake asked, turning away from the book in her hand to join the conversation.

"Yes." Weiss answered.

"Are you sure it wasn't trying to kill you but the Alpha came in and distracted it and you thought it told you to run away?" Yang suggested, cocking her head to the side as she spoke. All she received in response was a glare from the Heiress.

"Well who cares if it meant to save your life or not!" Ruby suddenly butted in, causing all to turn and face the young leader. "Weiss actually saw another Alien and it actually spoke to her!"

Weiss suddenly found herself pushed into a nearby chair with a short impromptu yelp, Ruby's face nearly planted against her as she looked at her with judging eyes. She swore that sometimes Ruby was too hyperactive and inquisitive for her own good.

"What did it look like? How big was it? What did it sound like? And most importantly did it like cookies?"

Ruby asked all four questions in such rapid succession that Weiss barely had time to react, let alone answer them. After a short amount of silence, Weiss slowly planted her finger on Ruby's forehead and gave it a light shove, placing a far more comfortable distance between herself and her leader.

"But seriously, what did it look like?" Blake finally asked, realising that Weiss was far more likely to ignore her team-mate then actually answer her.

"Well...it was hard to tell. It was covered in armour and was wearing some sort of mask that covered its face." Weiss recalled, rubbing her chin slowly in deep thought. "But I think it might have had blue skin."

"You think?" Yang snorted, earning yet another glare from Weiss. "You're the one who saw it? How do you not know what colour skin it had?"

"Because it was dark and it had energy weapons that were the same colour!" Weiss snapped back, causing the Brawler to roll her eyes in response.

"Energy weapons?" Ruby suddenly perked up, her eyes quickly going wide in excitement. "What did they look like?"

"They looked like blue wrist-blades but they didn't look physical...like some form of energy." Weiss explained, to which her partner quickly began to hop up and down on the spot in excitement.

"That...is so...cool!" Ruby shouted as she seemed to jump up and down even faster then before. "Do you think they make scythe versions too?!"

"I wouldn't bet on it." Yang responded, causing Ruby's ecstatic attitude to immediately whittle and die with a soft moan, to which Yang proceeded to pat her sisters shoulder as a form of condolence.

"What did it sound like?" Blake then asked, turning away from Ruby to face Weiss again.

"Well, it sounded like a guy, but their voice was all weird sounding, like there was more then one person speaking at the same time." Weiss explained, her eyes narrowed in deep thought.

"Like an echo?" Ruby asked, having quickly recovered from her short spout of misery.

"Yeah."

"Oh...so it was probably a MALE alien?" Yang asked, her eyes raised suggestively, perfectly complimenting her tone. "Hey, maybe it wanted to save Weiss for OTHER reasons..." Yang then added, chuckling to herself before her laughter died down when she realised that not only was Weiss glaring at her again, but both Blake and Ruby were looking at her disapprovingly.

"Really?" Weiss asked in a monotone voice. "You're going down that avenue?"

"Yeah..." Yang murmured, already rubbing her head sheepishly.

"That's pretty low, even for you." Blake added, her own tone matching Weiss'.

"I know..." Yang replied, sighing loudly as she slumped forward.

"Strike three Yang, one more and you're out." Ruby warned, holding three fingers up in the process.

"Anyway...there was something else about it...or him I guess." Weiss finally said again, shifting the conversation back to herself again.

"Oh?" Ruby murmured, turning to face Weiss once more.

"There was something in the way he was looking at me..." Weiss explained, her voice nearly a whisper.

Yang quickly opened her mouth to talk, only for the rest of her team to quickly snap their heads in her direction before a single word could come out. Yang slowly shifted her gaze in all their directions as she considered her next choice of words carefully.

"...I'm just gonna let myself out..." Yang finally said, backing away slowly from the rest of her team who all gave slow nods of approval in response.

"That's probably for the best." Blake replied as Yang slowly nodded in agreement, soon leaving their line of sight.

"So...what was weird about the way he looked at you?" Ruby finally asked again, returning the focus of the conversation back to Weiss' encounter.

"I'm not sure...but I think he was trying to decide something..." Weiss slowly replied.

"Decide what exactly?" Ruby further enquired, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Weiss did not respond immediately, instead opting to look at both Ruby and Blake separately before speaking up.

"I think he was deciding whether or not he should kill me."

 **00000000**

Alaris remained silent as he and the rest of his squadron handed the Dust crystals to the Engineers, who gave them their thanks before returning to work. The squad had then split up, some going off to spar with one another whilst others had duties to return to. Alaris however sat on the dew soaked grass, his back leaned against a Gateway, his mind racing with questions. Soon his mind was inevitably drawn back to the girl he had spared, and more importantly if he'd made the right decision.

Their mission was supposed to be top secret, the enemy had no idea they were slipping behind their lines into the other Kingdoms so they could gather Dust for experimental purposes. If the girl blabbed at all about what she had seen, it posed an inherent risk to further missions. If he'd just killed the girl or left her to the mercy of the Grimm, then the risk was nullified greatly.

But what honour was there in murdering the young? He knew that the answer was none. A few years ago, before the fall of Aiur, such questions were redundant. They were the Protoss, the Firstborn, Children of Ancient Gods. It was their right to protect the galaxy and their species, even if it meant eradicating another, regardless of age. But now, things were different. He could no longer defend the actions of their past, his past. Every child he had killed was now a burden on his soul, and one he could not amend. But if he could help it, he would not let it grow.

No, he was right to let the child live. And he alone would bear the responsibilities of his actions.

The sound of heavy feet crunching against the wet grass brought him out of his thoughts, causing him to snap his head to the right and quickly stand up straight at the sight of his Praetor approaching.

"Alaris, excellent work on your mission." Thraos bellowed, slapping a hand on the younger Protoss' shoulder with an audible clap. "I heard from the others that you'd killed an Alpha by yourself!"

"The glory is not mine alone Praetor." Alaris responded, turning to face his teacher with a quick glance. "I merely finished the beast off."

"Regardless, you did well to come out of it unscathed." Thraos countered as he led both himself and Alaris towards the centre of the small stronghold they had built. "A wounded beast is far more dangerous then a live one."

"Believe me, I am well aware." Alaris murmured quietly. If there was one thing that the Zerg had taught him, it was that the more likely they were to die, the more determined they were to take their slayer with them. A small scar along his arm from a Hydralisk blade could attest to that.

"The first reports from your squadron have been coming in and might I say, I am impressed so far." Thraos continued, his other hand clasping onto Alaris' other shoulder. "It seems that you have the makings of a fine leader. Perhaps one day, you will make the ranks as a Praetor."

"You flatter me..." Alaris replied, his eyes wide in surprise at the notion.

"Relax boy, I'm not giving you the promotion just yet." Thraos chuckled, causing Alaris to chuckle as well. "But keep at it, and you'll soon be there."

"I take it you are here for more then just congratulating me, Praetor?" Alaris replied after a short silence had passed, his eyes narrowed as he looked over his teachers features.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Thraos replied, unclasping his hands as he turned to face the young Zealot, his tone now demanding authority. "Our Observers have spotted a large force of Atlas Soldiers headed towards their City. Their passage brings them dangerously close to one of our smaller outposts which is dedicated to observing the enemy. If we lose that outpost, we lose a set of eyes on the City."

"What is your plan then?" Alaris questioned, his head slightly tilted to the side.

"I'm going to leave the base with a small army to ambush them," Thraos responded, nodding towards the Nexus as he spoke. "And I want you to come with me."

"Of course Praetor, as is my duty." Alaris responded with a swift nod, though he kept a careful eye on the Praetor. It was expected of him to most likely be part of the strike force, and he would be equally unsurprised if he was left to defend the base. Yet Thraos had made it clear he would be accompanying him. He continued to stare at his teacher, yet the elder Protoss gave nothing away.

"Glad to hear." Thraos finally responded, clapping Alaris on his shoulder as he turned to walk away. "We'll be leaving at early dawn tomorrow, the Nerazim have found a suitable place for an ambush and I want to check it out before the enemy arrives."

"As you wish, Praetor." Alaris responded with a small salute and bow, turning to walk away as he quickly understood the message he subtly was given.

Get some sleep now, because you won't get some for a while.

 **00000000**

Winter sighed as she signed off yet another report, rubbing her brow as she shoved the report to the side on a neat pile to her right before slipping a report on a pile to her left in front of her, reading through it before signing it off. There were a few spelling mistakes here and there, but nothing too substantial. All that was needed was for her to draw a line through the misspelled word and put the correct word above it.

Of course in some cases it was tedious work, especially having to re-word a Soldier's report who hadn't used the Atlesian way of spelling as expected, misspelling words such as 'color', putting 'colour' instead. What were they? Mistralian?

As she finished signing the report, she let out a soft sigh as she leaned back in her chair, quickly grabbing a small glass cup on the desk and pouring herself another glass of water. Whilst she would much prefer wine or perhaps even port, now wasn't a time to be indulging in such drinks. She needed to be alert, both to finish the remainder of her paperwork and in case anything happened.

Her unit was staying within Beacon grounds under orders from Ironwood, and she had been given full permission to inform Ozpin of everything. The Aliens, the situation in Atlas, and she was even given permission to inform them of the incident last year with the strange 'Hybrid'. Much to her surprise, and overall annoyance, Ozpin seemed to believe the threat should be kept under wraps. How he could make such a decision so quickly infuriated her, it wasn't as if the man had enough secrets as it was.

There was a loud knock on her door, causing her to lift her head up and stare at the small wooden door, the knocking quickly repeating when she did not respond.

"Come in." Winter finally ordered, placing her glass on her table as she continued to sign the remainder of the paperwork.

An Atlesian Knight quickly stepped through, its gears clanking as it entered the room, its arms either side of its body.

"Ma'am, one of Ozpin's students has requested to speak with you." the android stated, its emotionless automated voice echoing across the small confines of the room.

"Can it wait? I'm busy at the moment." Winter sternly replied, not looking up to greet the Knight.

"She claims it is urgent." the Knight stated, earning a frustrated sigh from Winter as she leaned back in her chair, looking up at the robot.

"Who is it?"

"Student identifies themselves as 'Weiss Schnee'." the Knight reported, causing Winter's eyes going wide in response as she faced the unit.

"Let her in." Winter ordered, waving the Knight away which saluted as it turned to leave the room, shutting the door behind it as it left.

Winter used the time to quickly compose herself, brushing the creases out of her clothes as she drank the rest of her water, quickly turning in her chair to take another glass in case her sister wanted one. When she was content her appearance was good enough to set a suitable example, she returned to her paperwork, sitting up straight in a calm manner. The door reopened moments later, her younger sister stepping through timidly and closing the door behind her. Winter pretended not to notice her immediately, even when Weiss coughed into her hand to signal her arrival. She finished the rest of the paperwork, placing it on the pile of completed work and turning to face her sister with a questioning stare.

"Hello Winter..." Weiss murmured sheepishly, a nervous laugh escaping her lips before she could stop it.

"Do speak up Weiss, I can barely hear you when you mumble." Winter simply replied, eyeing her sister like a cat would a mouse.

"Good evening, Winter." Weiss corrected, standing up straight with her hands behind her back.

Winter nodded subtly in approval before pouring herself a glass of water, Weiss moving to take a seat opposite her.

"Stay put, I never asked you to sit." Winter ordered, Weiss quickly recoiling back to her previous position. A tense few seconds of silence passed before Winter spoke up again. "That was very informal of you earlier when you arrived. All you had to do was wait."

"Of course, I'm sorry Winter." Weiss quickly replied, making sure to choose her words carefully.

"I do hope that the lessons I taught you haven't been forgotten so soon." Winter asked, eyeing Weiss carefully.

"Of course not, Winter." Weiss replied, shifting her back slightly to make sure it was as straight as possible.

"Good." Winter replied with a soft smile, gesturing to the chair opposite her. "Please, take a seat."

Weiss let out a silent sigh as she sat in the chair opposite her, her hands folded on her lap. Winter gestured to the jug of water beside her, Weiss slowly shaking her head in denial. As she placed the jug to the side, Winter once again focused her attention to why her sister had come.

"Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, looking at Weiss with genuine interest.

Weiss did not reply immediately, squirming slightly in her chair as she began to twiddle her thumbs together, causing Winter to look at her with more concern then before. When she did finally speak up, her voice was almost a whisper.

"There's something I need to tell you..."

 **00000000**

 **Well, that's that then. Liked it? Feel free to comment and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	13. Presumptions

**Another day, another chapter. Not gonna lie, this fic is really starting to dog me now, feels like a chore every time I write it. But hey, I'm not gonna let that get me down. So, review responses. Bravo Tango; glad you liked it and who knows, that might happen in the future. Edboy4926; glad you liked it. Akshka; that's an interesting point, I'll make sure to take it into consideration. OutlastTheDark; man, you REALLY don't like Weiss, do you? And yes, I did make a joke about American English vs Commonwealth English. And Lord-Krun; not just scythes my friend, double headed scythes! And good to know that Alaris as a character is enjoyable for you to read about. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 13- Presumptions**

"Are you certain Weiss?" Winter asked, her eyes furrowed with worry. What her sister had just told her was of great concern. Those Alien Bastards had gotten as far as Vale? Ironwood would need to know immediately, but she would need her sister to clarify. No use setting off the alarm if she had misheard Weiss the first time.

"Yes, I'm positive." Weiss responded. Winter had seemingly dropped all sense of formality, instead opting to walk towards the nearby window, staring out at the scenery in front of her.

"So to clarify, you said that one of these Aliens tried to attack you, and then another one saved you from a Grimm?" Winter asked, turning to face her sister again. She received a nod of the head in response, to which Winter sighed and walked towards her sister. "Are you sure the Alien wasn't trying to defend itself from the Grimm, and that you simply took the opportunity to escape?"

"No, I'm certain. It told me to run." Weiss clarified, narrowing her eyes in both confusion and anger. Why was her sister trying to twist her explanation into making him as bad as the other one?

"I see..." Winter murmured, eyeing her sister suspiciously.

Her mind was running with a whole manner of dark thoughts as to why her sister was so blatantly trying to defend this thing that had no doubt killed so many of their kind. Her thoughts then came to a dark conclusion, that perhaps she wasn't even talking to her sister. She had seen what the Hybrid could do, turn friend into foe. And if these things were anything like them-

She shook her head, removing the dark thought from her mind. No, this was her sister. How could she even think such a thing was possible to begin with? Maybe Ironwood and the Army psychiatrists were right, maybe she was suffering from some form of PTSD after her encounter with the Hybrid, watching every shadow like it might come to life, judging everyone she met with suspicion. It wasn't healthy and she knew it. Still, the fact her sister was so adamantly defending this alien was just as worrying.

"Winter? Are you all right?" Weiss asked, snapping Winter out of her thoughts.

She had nearly forgotten her sisters presence, and now she had seemingly made herself look like a complete fool in front of someone who looked up to her. She took a deep breath before turning to face her sister again, a content smile on her face.

"I'm fine, Weiss." Winter replied, quickly sitting back in her seat opposite her sister. "Thank you for this information Weiss, I'm sure the General will be pleased to hear it."

"Wait, is that it?" Weiss asked in a dumbfounded manner, her eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Yes, is there anything else you believe is necessary?" Winter asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Well, how about that fact that these guys aren't so much kill first ask questions later?!" Weiss asked, her shoulders raised slightly to further exaggerate her point. "These guys are willing to listen to reason. Perhaps if we find a common line of communication we can-"

"No, you haven't seen what these things are capable of. They will kill without mercy or regret." Winter warned, her voice dangerously low.

"Have you?" Weiss asked accusingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I...haven't encountered them personally, but I've seen enough both through reports and video footage." Winter defended, her eyes now narrowed into near slits. "Believe me when I say that these things are ruthless, and will stop at nothing until they have either killed us or died trying."

"But-"

"Enough!" Winter snapped, interrupting Weiss whilst also startling her greatly. "I will hear no more of this, do you hear me?"

Weiss did not respond verbally, solemnly nodding her head in response to her sisters outburst.

"Good." Winter sighed, coughing into her hand as she picked up her pen and continued signing off reports. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to work."

"Of course Winter." Weiss replied silently, standing up from her chair before leaving the room quickly, lest her sister see the tears starting to drip from her eyes.

Winter sighed and slammed her fist onto the desk, silently cursing herself for her outburst. It was unbecoming of her to act in such a way, and worse still, she had no doubt made the rift growing between the two ever since the Hybrid Crisis even wider with her outburst. She would have to make up for it at some point, it was imperative she did so if the two were to remain close. But for the moment, she had to focus on her work, and pray that her sister didn't do anything reckless.

 **00000000**

"Why, I don't believe I have ever seen such a perfect spot for an ambush then this one." Thraos bellowed happily as he held his arms out wide in front of him. "Wouldn't you agree Alaris?"

"Indeed Praetor, the Nerazim certainly know how to pick their fights." Alaris agreed, nodding his in agreement as he turned to the two Centurion's flanking them.

To say it was the perfect spot for an ambush was an understatement. It was beyond perfect in fact. The field before them was covered in a long sheen of long grass, which rustled gently in the breeze. The grass was nearly waist high, perfect place for the Protoss to stop and wait. The valley itself was flanked by two large hills, creating a dip in the narrow dirt track where the enemy would most certainly move. On one side was a vast expanse of trees, perfect cover for their Stalkers, whilst on the other side was a river that was too deep for the enemy to cross. If they played their cards right, they could effectively bottleneck the enemy.

"We knew you would approve Praetor." one of the Centurion's responded, bowing slightly as he regarded the two Templar. "As we speak, our Dark Templar are sweeping the fields, just to make sure the Humans haven't sent a forward scouting party to our location."

"Indeed, we wouldn't want the enemy to stumble upon us before we were ready." Alaris murmured, turning away as he focused his gaze on a large number of Zealot's who were huddled around one another in the long grass, conversing with one another silently.

The only Warriors that could be spared were Zealot's, Centurion's, Supplicants, Adepts and a number of Stalkers. It was going to be a close quarters fight mainly, the Zealot's and Centurion's making the bulk of the force whilst the rest were there to offer fire support whenever necessary. The Dark Templar were acting only as a scouting force and would withdraw at the first sign of the enemy, their Warp Scythes no doubt doing just as much damage to their own forces in such tight quarters.

Thraos had detailed the plan of action to Alaris on their journey to their current location. One force, led by Thraos, would lay in wait near the river and attack the enemy. When their focus was turned on them, the second half of the force would attack their rear, cutting off their escape route whilst also dealing a major blow to them whilst their attention was diverted. Then all they would have to do was trap them between their own forces and the river, where they would either stay and fight or try and swim across where they would likely drown or get washed away. In case any made it across, the Dark Templar scouts would be waiting for them and cut them down before they could get far.

As with all plans, the easy part was to lay it out. The hard part came with the execution, where it would be seen if the all the planning and preparation had any merit. There was of course, a number of issues that would have to be addressed. What if the enemy stumbled upon the flanking force first? What if they had heavy artillery, something the Protoss had been forced to leave behind in favour of subtlety? What if the enemy force was greater then had been reported? They would surely be outnumbered. Or what if the enemy were aware that they were lying in wait, and sent a decoy force through first, and laid an ambush of their own instead?

"We'd best begin preparations for the ambush immediately, whilst we still have time to spare." Thraos murmured, snapping Alaris out of his thoughts as he turned to face the Praetor. "Alaris, with me."

"At once Praetor." Alaris saluted, following his Commander and Teacher as he made his way to the river bank, where a number of Templar were already waiting. "Your plan is a sound one if I may say so myself."

"We shall see soon enough." Thraos muttered, pointing at the brow of the hill. "Look over there, do you know what that is?"

Alaris followed the length of Thraos' finger and narrowed his eyes in concentration. Just over the brow of the hill, maybe a couple of miles away, was a small dust cloud that was slowly growing larger. Alaris knew only one thing that could create a dust cloud that large, and it made sense now why Thraos was so eager to begin preparations.

"The enemy column..." Alaris responded. It was not a question, it was a fact, further solidified when Thraos nodded his head slowly.

"They appear to be going faster then we anticipated." Thraos added, turning to face the young Zealot next to him. "Not to worry though, we still have time to prepare a mount a proper offensive."

"Indeed it is." Alaris concurred, facing Thraos as he awaited orders. "Shall I join up with your force?"

"No, don't be ridiculous." Thraos chuckled, causing Alaris to narrow his eyes in confusion. "How else can you lead the second force if you're not with them?"

Alaris' eyes went wide in shock at Thraos' statement, blinking rapidly in an attempt to delay his shock. He turned towards the tree-line where the other half of the Protoss army was to wait, pointing at himself as he struggled to find words.

"Me?" Alaris finally spat out, stuttering slightly as he spoke. "But, surely there are other Templar here more capable then I?"

"Not with us at the moment." Thraos responded, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I want you to lead the flanking force."

"But Praetor, surely I'm not ready for such a role." Alaris pointed out, his arms open either side of him.

"You said that about leading a squad, and look how well that turned out." Thraos rebutted, raising an eyebrow as the young Protoss struggled to think of a counter.

"Leading a squadron is one thing, but to lead half of an Army is entirely different." Alaris finally managed to say, now opting to instead stamp one foot on the soft soil, churning up the dirt easily. "Please, I implore you, find another to lead!"

Thraos sighed as he slowly shook his head as he placed a hand on the younger Protoss' shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Listen to me Alaris, sooner or later, I will die. I do not know whether it will be today, or tomorrow, or even years from now, but eventually I will embrace the serenity of death." Thraos explained. When Alaris moved to speak, he held his hand up, signalling to him that he wasn't finished yet. "Eventually, you will have to lead. It is inevitable. The Armada would be a fool to pass up a young prodigy such as yourself for promotion. When that day comes, I want you to be ready to lead, no longer needing to look to me for guidance. This is nothing but a test, and I know that you are ready to take it."

Alaris sighed as he closed his eyes, taking in everything that Thraos had said. It was obvious now why the Praetor had taken him under his wing all those years ago, why he had chosen him above the other Zealot's. He had seen something in him that made him stand out, and had chosen it fit to groom him for a role of command. All the harsh lessons, all the studying, had been leading to this. After a short silence, he opened his eyes and nodded his head in agreement, saluting his superior quickly.

"I will not fail you Praetor." Alaris said, Thraos nodding in approval as the young Templar turned to walk away and address his troops.

"I know you won't Alaris, I know you won't."

Alaris continued to make his way to the tree-line, the long grass brushing against his armour as he strode forward. Eventually, he made it to the tree-line, where his forces were waiting. 500, that was how many were entrusted to him. 1000 Protoss split into two, against 2000 Humans functioning as one. The odds were in their favour if fortune see fit. It didn't take long to notice that all the Protoss were now looking at him expectantly, most of them many decades older then he was. He could tell many were judging him, perhaps not liking the idea of being led by a youngster, whilst others just stood there, awaiting orders.

"Templar." Alaris finally said, looking around at the small army, his army. "Prepare for battle!"

 **00000000**

The Hybrid could only smile as it felt the turmoil passing through the people of this planet. The Firstborn, arrogant as ever, had commenced a long term war against the planet, and those that believed in the stories were starting to fear. Good, the fear would make its Grimm strong, it would make HIM strong. The time was nigh, it had enough Grimm within the compound to annihilate its prisoners, and from then on its strength would only grow.

Soon Emerald and Mercury's usefulness would come to an end, as would the White Fang under his control. The only problem that remained was Cinder. Despite its best attempts, Cinder had not given up hope that Salem had abandoned her. If anything, the invasion of the Firstborn seemed to increase her faith, believing it to be another step in the plan. She would suffer for such influence, and her essence would be lost to creation.

It looked once more at the shackles binding its form, and let out a roar of defiance as it began to tug and twist the chains. The commotion it was making was quick to attract attention, two members of the White Fang quickly rushing through the door to engage, only to freeze in horror instead. The Hybrid let out another roar as it managed to split the shackles binding two of its tendrils, hissing in triumph as the appendages moved freely for the first time in weeks.

One of the White Fang quickly reached for a radio in his back pocket, hoping to call back up to deal with the creature. Before he could however, the Hybrid reached out with one of its tendrils, hitting his chest with such rapid force that it pierced through his body and out through the other side. He stood there, the radio slipping from his hand as he violently vomited up bile and blood, the tendril piercing him quickly withdrawing from his chest, sending him forward slightly.

The other White Fang screamed in horror, turning to run away as fast as her feet would carry her. As she looked back, the other tendril, latched onto her face, her panicked cried turning into incoherent muffles as she began to punch the tendril. It then lifted her into the air, grabbing her feet with the other tendril and began to tug, her screams of panic quickly turning into screams of pain. The sound of sinew and bone tearing and snapping quickly resounded around the two, until at last in a torrent of blood her torso was severed from her waist, her blood and internal organs spilling out on the floor.

The Hybrid carelessly tossed the pieces to the side, using the tendrils to instead break apart the remainder of the chains. The more chains he broke, the more he could move his body. More limbs began to work on the chains, until at last he severed the last of the chains wrapped around him. With a grunt, he dropped to all fours, his two smaller arms held close to his chest. He twisted his neck to the right, the sound of bones popping echoing around him as he let out a satisfying hiss. Then he rose up again, striding towards the twin doors that kept him confined and split them apart, allowing light to fill his vision once again.

Then he let out a roar of triumph, he was free at last.

 **00000000**

 **Well shit, that escalated quickly at the end there. Well, hope you enjoyed it. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either leave in your review or PM me.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	14. Thirst For Battle

**Another day, another chapter. Review response time first. Bravo Tango; well, hope this battle lives up to your expectations. And as for your world question, I'm gonna try and stick to canon as much as possible in that regard. Akshka; honestly, the way that those Covert Ops mission packs have been going, the Protoss could be wary of Terran's considering that the Defenders of Man are attacking ANY alien race and honestly, I don't think they'd trust the Zerg even if their lives depended on it. I know I wouldn't. Le MAO XVII; hope this doesn't disappoint. OutlastTheDark; close quarters combat is the best type of combat. Fuck ranged weapons unless they're Bows or Crossbows, let's go back to swords and shit! And Lord-Krun; well, glad you liked the set-up, and hopefully this doesn't disappoint you. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 14- Thirst For Battle**

Alaris crouched low in the long grass, flanked on all sides by his fellow Warriors, the edge of the forest too their back. They'd been waiting for little over an hour now, and the tension had become so thick one could cleave through it easily enough. From his position, he could faintly make out where Thraos' force was situated, their armour glinting faintly in the midday Sun. Further up from his position was a small stream, which lead towards the main river where Thraos now waited.

The coming battle would be tough, there was no doubt about it. Their success depended on how quickly the Protoss reacted to one another, how in sync they were. If they appeared too early, the enemy would fall back easily enough. Too late, and Thraos' force would be trapped between a much larger force and the river.

He was snapped out of his pre battle thoughts by a sharp nudge to his left side. He turned towards the Zealot in question, who silently pointed towards the brow of the hill. Alaris turned to where the Zealot was pointing, and caught sight of two Atlesian Soldiers. No doubt a scouting column that was moving ahead of the main force to ensure their passage was clear. The two scouts split from one another, one headed towards Alaris' position whilst the other headed towards Thraos'.

Alaris sighed in frustration as he shook his head, quickly turning towards a Centurion on the rear flank. He signalled the Centurion, pointing towards the scout before running a finger across his neck. The Centurion nodded as he slipped out of formation without so much as a sound, and disappeared into the long grass. Alaris then snapped his gaze towards the approaching scout, who had stopped and was now looking over the plain in front of him. Then without a sound, an armoured hand popped out of the long grass and clamped over the scouts mouth, quickly dragging him into the undergrowth. There was a faint shuffling in the grass as it was overcome by a faint eerie green glow, before becoming still again.

Alaris nodded in approval before turning to face the other scout. Fortunately, he had not spotted nor noticed the disappearance of his comrade, and appeared to be headed straight towards the river, completely bypassing Thraos' force. Alaris began to question why the scout was doing such a thing, until he stopped at the bank, dropped his weapon and began to fumble with his groin region. Alaris blinked slightly in surprise before grimacing in disgust, realising full well what the scout was doing. Whatever pleasure the scout was gaining from such a situation was short lived however, as a Zealot quickly sprang up behind him, drawing his head back as he ran his blade across his throat, the scouts body going limp immediately.

He sighed in relief upon seeing this, realising full well that his superior had the same idea that he had. Of course, the enemy would no doubt investigate what had actually happened to their two scouts, but he placed hope that perhaps they believed they were checking across the entirety of the trail rather then this small section. A noise behind him made him turn around in surprise, only to realise it was the Centurion he had sent ahead to deal with the scout, his armour stained slightly with blood. He shook his head in frustration for being so easily spooked, of course it was just the Centurion. If he was jumping at every shadow, then what good was he as a leader?

His train of thought was interrupted however by the heavy rhythm of marching, causing himself and those around him to turn and face its direction. At the brow of the hill was a column of Atlesian Soldiers marching forward in complete unison, their armour glinting slightly in the Sun. Alaris could not help but admire their strict Military discipline, the way every Soldier marched in unison, the quality of their equipment. The slightest misstep was quickly corrected by the loud bellows of the company Sergeant, who swung out with what appeared to be a Baton of some form if the Soldiers didn't correct themselves immediately. It was an honour in his mind, to fight such worthy adversaries.

The majority of the column had now passed over the hill, and the leader of the force was quickly identified by his formal looking officers attire, which was adorned by many golden medals. A Huntsman perhaps? They would find out soon enough. Alaris could not help but thrill at the thought of fighting such a warrior in battle. If what Thraos had said about them was true, then it would indeed be a battle worthy of retelling.

The Commander quickly ordered his force to halt, the column of Soldiers quickly stopping the seconds the order was finished. The Commander quickly stepped towards the head of the column, scanning the fields in front of him with the scrutiny of a veteran, noticing every inch of the ground before him that could host an ambushing army. He retreated seconds later, bellowing for the company to continue marching, though they did so warily. Any second now…

There was suddenly a battle roar that echoed across the open plains as Thraos and his force revealed themselves, catching the companies left most flank off guard as they charged forward. The Commander was the first to recover from the surprise ambush, quickly shouting abuse at his Soldiers to prepare their defences. Soon the entirety of the column was turning towards Thraos and his forces, who were closing in on the Army. Those too slow to prepare themselves were immediately cut down as the Protoss force crashed into them, the sea of white mixing in with the sea of gold. The effects of the ambush quickly died down however, as the Atlas forces quickly recovered and were now driving them back.

"Those who fight at range guard our flank," Alaris ordered as he turned towards his Warriors. "The rest of you with me!"

There was a roar of approval from the Protoss as Alaris quickly ordered the charge, his own force now charging directly behind the Atlas force, aided greatly in their descent by the small slope they stood on. One of the Atlas Soldiers turned around, quickly registering the fast approaching threat. He shouted something towards the Commander, who turned and simply gaped at the new arrivals. Any order to turn and face the new threat would potentially leave them exposed to the force already engaged. And so he simply stood silent as the Soldiers at the front tried to push their way through deeper into the column, where they would be safe for a while.

With a roar, the Protoss force crashed down on the broken line of the Atlas column, cutting down anyone in their path. Alaris was amongst the first to enter the fray, crying out in defiance as he cleaved through the armour and Aura of the Atlas Soldiers, his Psi Blades cutting through them effortlessly. Soon the advantage of surprise was lost as the Atlas Soldiers began to recover from the shock, but the damage was already done.

The first few rows of Atlas Soldiers was being overrun, with the Protoss force now milling around them. It soon became aware to those closest to the river what the Protoss were trying to achieve, many looking expectantly at their Commander for any guidance. Some took their chances in the river, quickly discarding their weapons as they waded through the deep waters. Many were swept under the waves immediately, quickly drowning in the fast currents whilst those that did make it to the other side were cut down by invisible forces, discouraging many from taking the plunge.

Alaris let out a roar as he cleaved through an Atlesian Soldiers left side, cutting through his shoulder and exiting through his right hip. He turned as he heard a cry of defiance behind him, turning to see an Atlesian Soldier charging him, a Falcata raised over his head. He swerved back as the blade swung past him, quickly dancing around the Soldier as he struggled to pull the blade free from the dirt and began to slash him in the back, quickly cleaving through him in seconds. He turned and swung out at another Soldier, who foolishly raised his Rifle to guard against the blow. The Psi Blade easily cut through the weapon, the Soldier looking at the Rifle with a mixture of shock and horror. Alaris then swung upwards and cleaved through the Soldiers chest piece, causing him to vomit blood as he staggered back.

Alaris then turned as he saw an Atlesian Soldier armed with a Flail, swinging the heavy weapon around rapidly as it crashed into a row of Zealots, cracking the shields of some whilst shattering others, no doubt causing many internal fractures within. Alaris charged towards the Soldier, who swung the weapon out at him. He leaned back beneath the swing, quickly severing the chain connecting the Flail's head to the shaft, sending it flying towards an Atlesian Soldier coming from behind, cracking his chest piece immediately as he fell flat on his back.

As Alaris rose however, the Soldier began to swing the shaft of the weapon like a bat, catching him off guard as his shields sputtered and cracked with each blow, until a kick to the gut knocked him to the ground. The Soldier charged, ready to continue beating the life out of Alaris as he struggled to a standing position. Suddenly, a form rushed towards the Soldier and slammed into his back, black smoke quickly forming from the point of impact. The Soldier sputtered and coughed as he tried to recover from the Centurion's Shadow Charge, but it was too late. Alaris swung out at the Soldiers stomach, impaling it immediately whilst the Centurion pierced him in the back with his Warp Blade. The Soldier screamed from the two points of impact, until both Alaris and the Centurion both followed through with their cleave, the two weapons quickly splitting him in two.

Alaris turned to say his thanks to the Centurion, but his shields suddenly cracked as the Centurion fell forward, a bullet going through his flank. The Crystal Matrices within his armour went to work immediately, warping the gravely wounded Warrior to safety. Alaris turned in the direction of the shot, and was greeted by the sight of the Commander, a Pistol in his hand, which was now aimed at Alaris. He reacted quickly, rolling to the right as a bullet sped towards where he had just been seconds ago. Using the mass of warriors fighting for dominance as cover, Alaris crept towards the Commanders flank, who was eyeing the location he had last seen Alaris warily, his Pistol shifting at the slightest noise.

Alaris then charged the Commander from behind, who registered the danger at the last second and turned around, Pistol aimed at Alaris. He grabbed the Commander by his wrists and forced the Pistol skyward, wasting the bullets within. Releasing his grip on the Commander's unburdened hand, he swung down with his right Psi Blade, cutting the Pistol in half easily enough. In response, the Commander drew his head back and head-butted Alaris. The blow seemed to hurt the Commander more then Alaris, protected as he was by his Helmet. Alaris was quick to respond with his own head-butt, sending the Commander down to the ground with a single swing of his head.

Alaris walked towards the Commander, who began to crawl back as he reached for a weapon, quickly grabbing a Short Sword, spinning the blade freely in his hand. Alaris had to be careful here, a few inches of point was far more deadly in close quarters then any length of blade. The two circled one another, each one registering the movements they took. The Commander feigned to the right before thrusting from the left, Alaris quickly recovering from the feint and backing away from the tip of the blade. As the Commander drew back, a green orb was forming in his free hand. Alaris narrowed his eyes at this. This must have been the 'Semblance' he had heard so much about from Thraos. What it would do, he did not know, but he was going to find out eventually it seemed.

With a single clench of his fist, the orb shattered, exploding in a flash of light. Alaris was blinded immediately, and he was not alone apparently. Around him he could hear the disgruntled roars and complaints from Protoss and Human alike, and so Alaris let his instincts take over and began to swing rapidly in front of him. On multiple occasions he could feel his Psi Blades make contact with something, and so he kept swinging. Eventually, his vision cleared and he saw the Commander before him, his Short Sword severed and his clothing singed, his face still an emotionless mask.

Alaris felt multiple presences to his right and left flanks, and was greeted by two Zealots on either side. Judging by the burning hatred in their eyes they had also been effected by the Commander's ability, and wanted to exact vengeance. With nothing more then a cry of pure adrenalin, the Zealots and Alaris charged, quickly swarming the Commander who fell on his back with a yell as the Zealot's began to hack and slash at him furiously, tearing his Aura to shreds. Alaris looked on from the bloodbath at his feet and looked at the battle around him. The loss of their leader, and the Protoss now easily overwhelming their forces, victory was all but assured.

"Alaris!" a familiar voice bellowed, causing him to turn in its direction, quickly spotting Thraos marching towards him, his armour covered in blood. "Some of them are trying to escape! Gather a small number of Warriors and run them down!"

"At once Praetor." Alaris replied, quickly signalling for a small group of Zealot's and Centurion's to follow him.

They quickly split off from the main force, making their way towards the brow of the hill, where some of the Atlesian Soldiers had managed to split off from the battle and were now in full retreat. The Leg Enhancements of the Protoss allowed them to quickly gain speed, closing the gap between them and the retreating force. Alaris risked a look behind him and could not help but feel joy. The Protoss force had finally overwhelmed the Atlas forces, and were now cleaning up the remaining fighters.

As Alaris turned to face his quarry, he could see they were clustered together, with few stragglers struggling to keep up. To their immediate right at the top of the hill was a shear drop to the river below, which split between the one lining the bank of the battle whilst the other lead deeper into the surrounding forest. Focusing on the nearest enemy, Alaris swung out with his Psi Blade, severing the Soldiers hamstring and sending him tumbling into the grass. He left him for the Zealot behind him, who quickly finished off the downed Soldier. More stragglers were cut down, until the Protoss were nearly on top of the massed Soldiers, Alaris drawing his Psi Blades back to deliver a powerful cleave.

An explosion suddenly ripped through the clearing, impacting the cluster of Soldiers immediately. Alaris had to dig his feet into the earth to stop himself from falling, the other Zealot's and Centurion's doing likewise. The Atlesian Soldiers not hindered by the explosion were just as stunned, looking around warily for the source of the explosion. There was a loud whistle as a missile impacted the Atlesian Soldiers again, whilst another hit the Protoss, causing cries of panic to sound form both sides. Almost immediately, a score of men and women emerged from the tree's, carrying crude weapons in their hands as they rushed the two forces. Alaris gazed upon the new threat, their forms adorned in white armour, black hoods over their heads with masks covering their faces. Alaris did not know who these Warriors were, but the Atlas Soldiers did, as a new cry began to ring out across the field.

"White Fang!"

The new force clashed with the Atlas forces, the former easily overwhelming the weaker and winded Atlas force, easily finishing what the Protoss had started. Some had the nerve and gall to charge the Protoss force, but they were easily swept aside by the much larger and superior fighters. Alaris could only watch this new development with some wariness, realising that soon this new foe would be upon them. He turned around, quickly spotting a small column of Protoss heading their way, Thraos at the lead. They wouldn't make it in time, of this Alaris was certain. If they could meet halfway, then they could potentially overwhelm the ambushers.

"Fall back to the Praetor!" Alaris bellowed, pointing down to the slope of the hill. "Fall back!"

The order didn't need to be issued a third time, as the Protoss quickly began to speed down the slope of the hill. As Alaris looked back, he saw that these 'White Fang' were realising that their second targets were escaping to the safety of the superior force, and quickly gave chase. They managed to catch up to the Protoss quickly enough, swarming over them in any attempt to hinder them. Some of the Protoss were overwhelmed immediately and brought down, though most put up a fight. Alaris began to slash and stab at any who dared approach him, where he quickly found himself disturbed by the animalistic features of these new foes.

A cry of fury came towards him from behind, causing him to turn and face a charging White Fang Soldier, a pair of tusks that reminded him of the old Zerg Queen strain protruding from his mouth. Alaris crossed his arms to deliver a head length cut, but the White Fang Soldier ducked beneath the swing and grabbed him by the waist and began to push. At first, Alaris was caught unawares by the move, allowing the Soldier to push him forward without a fight for a few feet. Eventually, Alaris began to dig is heels into the earth, and began to slash at the Soldiers back, though his Aura seemed to protect him from the brunt of the assault.

Soon, Alaris felt his feet lose gain on the ground and looked behind him, the river nearly two metres behind him. He realised just what the White Fang intended, and began to bash his elbows into his back, fighting with renewed fury. Soon his feet began to grind against stone, and the White Fang Soldiers grip began to loosen. Realising that he had done too little too late, Alaris let out one last cry as he grabbed hold of the Soldiers shoulders as he felt nothing but air at his feet. The White Fang Soldier pushed Alaris over the edge, letting go as he fell back, but too late did he realise that Alaris had him by the shoulders, sending both over the edge.

The White Fang Soldiers screams of terror were cut off as he landed head first on a rock, snapping his neck immediately and caving his face in. Alaris closed his eyes as he felt his body move closer to the waters below, landing on a rocky outcropping with a dull thud before his body slipped into the waters, disappearing beneath the spray of water…

 **00000000**

 **Well, that was a thing. Liked it? Feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	15. Fallen

**Another day, another chapter. First up, review responses. Bravo Tango; glad I surprised you with the White Fang. Also, I do actually think that the White Fang would be just as hostile to the Protoss honestly as they are to Humans. Akshka; glad you liked it. And OutlastTheDark; I do like me some Roman Legion's. And trust you to make a serious situation comedic in some way. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 15- Fallen**

"Fan out!" Winter ordered, pointing over towards the bloodstained field before them. "I want you looking out for any survivors!"

"Yes ma'am." the Soldier's chorused, quickly fanning out towards the once peaceful expanse of land before them, now stained with the blood of Humans and Aliens.

Not long ago, some of the troops in Winter's division had intercepted a call for aid from an Atlas force that had been ambushed by the enemy. This news had caused much grief and rage for Winter. It was bad enough that they were targeting their Dust providers, now that they're targeting their troops as they moved was just as bad, maybe worse. With no one else nearby to respond to the signal, and with it being close enough to Vale's borders to justify a response, Winter had mobilised a task force to help defend the force. But as soon as the calls for help stopped, it was clear that it had turned from a reinforcement mission to a search and rescue one. A greater emphasis on the former of the two.

Lookouts were posted alongside the river and tree line to ensure that any stragglers would not attack them whilst the rest fanned out to search for any survivors. So far there had been none. They had found the Commander of the force, or more accurately what was left of him. He'd been hacked to pieces by the crude energy weapons the aliens carried, and his body parts scattered during the midst of battle.

"Ma'am! Over here!" a Soldier suddenly shouted from the brow of the hill, waving at Winter to come forward.

Winter wasted no time, quickly signalling for two of the Soldiers to follow her up the hill whilst the others were ordered to stay put and continue searching for survivors, no matter how fruitless it seemed. Soon she was beside the Soldier, who had a grim look on his face at what he had discovered.

"What is it Soldier? Report." Winter ordered, pausing only to catch her breath.

"I don't think those Alien bastards were the only ones here." was all the Soldier said, pointing behind him towards the bloodstained grass nearby.

When Winter looked, she let out a disgusted sigh at what she saw. The ground was coated in blood and body parts, and some patches were scorched from missile fire. But it wasn't just Atlas bodies that littered the ground, there were others that she was honestly surprised to see.

"White Fang?" Winter muttered, quickly marching up to one of the bodies that were faced down. She planter her boot on their back and turned them over fully, revealing the bloodied and shattered mask of a White Fang grunt.

"Seems so ma'am." the Soldier replied, covering his mouth with his hand as he felt bile rise up in his throat.

"So what? Are the Aliens allying themselves with terrorists now?" Winter asked, walking away from the corpse as she spoke.

"I don't think so ma'am. Some of them have energy based wounds on their bodies that don't match any weapon we have." the Soldier explained, having forced himself into swallowing the bile that had threatened to embarrass him in front of a superior officer. "I think that maybe they just saw the scale of this skirmish and decided to take their chances. Judging by the amount of bodies, it didn't pay off."

"Well, it could have been a lot worse I suppose." Winter conceded with a sigh, rubbing her face as she turned to overlook the rest of the battlefield. So far no survivors had been recovered, as she'd expected. "I think we've done all we can right now. Get everyone back on the ship in 5 minutes, we'll scan for survivors on our way back to base camp."

"Yes ma'am." the Soldier replied with a salute, quickly turning to signal to the other nearby Soldiers that they were leaving.

Winter sighed as she overlooked the nearby river, the body of a White Fang grunt who had been unlucky enough to land face first on a rock hanging precariously over the edge, before gravity finally took effect and the body plummeted towards the river, getting overtaken by the rapid current. She would have to report this development to Ironwood at once, whether or not such an action could get her disciplined for disobeying a direct order. Ironwood had been specifically clear about the fact she needed to remain in Vale, and here she was outside of Vale's borders. She just hoped that whatever the circumstances, Ironwood would see the necessity of her actions.

 **00000000**

Alaris grunted in pain as he hefted himself out of the river, blood gushing from a long graze on his right leg. He did not know how long he had been unconscious, all he remembered was waking up in a torrent of water. He quickly became aware of the cut along his legs moments later, most likely the pain that continuously shot up through the wound being the reason he regained consciousness. He had no doubt received it during his fall most likely, but there was no telling how much blood he had lost.

As he clambered onto the river bank, he managed to finally get a look at the wound, where he finally saw the extent of his injuries. It was bad to say the least, and blood continued to gush from the wound. With nothing to use as a makeshift tourniquet he had no choice but to cauterize the wound. He was quick to activate one of his Psi Blades, the blade steaming as it reacted with the water coating his armour and he lowered it to his leg, forcing himself to remain silent as he guided the rim of the blade over the wound, the flesh cauterising instantly upon contact.

He let out a pained gasp as he withdrew the blade, collapsing on the muddied bank immediately. He forced himself to turn over, and he continued to crawl forward towards the edge of the forest. He forced himself into a standing position, grunting loudly as he felt the pressure build up in his wounded leg. That would be another scar added to his collection if he survived this. As he looked down at his armour, he could not help but feel a sense of grimness at the sight of the shattered crystal embedded in the chest piece.

What it meant was simple, he could not be warped to safety. He would most likely die here.

He closed his eyes as he began to ponder his inevitable fate. His only chance of surviving was to find others of his kind, whether they were on patrol or if they were at a base camp was irrelevant. The fact of the matter was that he needed to find help soon. With a grunt of determination, he heaved his body forward and trod deeper into the expanse of trees before him.

He continued on his travels for what felt like hours, slowed down considerably by the wound in his leg. Many of the local fauna kept well away from him, the animals considerably shy at the unusual entity before them. Even those that could be considered predators kept their distance from him, not wanting to risk dying to what they simply assumed was a wounded prey.

Alaris continued on until he stumbled to a stop in a large clearing, the trees covering the sky above, allowing only small shafts of light through their leaves. Alaris continued to breathe deeply in an attempt to calm himself, the pain in his wounded leg only becoming worse. As he lifted himself off the floor to continue onwards, he paused, looking around warily as he heard the unmistakable sound of snarling and growling.

Soon within the shadows, amber eyes began to pop up around him, staring at him with malicious intent. Soon, a figure slowly crept out of the shadows, the bone white muzzle clear as day as the Beowolf slowly moved forward, giblets of flesh hanging from its mouth. Alaris narrowed his eyes in concentration as he activated his Psi Blades, pointing the blades at the lupine creature.

The Beowolf cocked its head to the side in an inquisitive manner, almost as if weighing up the options before it. It then turned its head towards the surrounding clearing, letting out a long snarl. More Beowolves began to creep out of the shadows, each one looking at the figure before them almost hesitantly. Alaris crossed his blades in front of him as he closed his eyes, muttering a silent prayer for the battle to come.

A loud roar echoed soon after, as the Beowolves charged at him in a swarming mass. Alaris opened his eyes as two of the Beowolves charged out in front of him, their arms ready to swing outwards at him. Alaris stayed his ground, waiting for the Grimm to approach him. As they came within reach, he slashed down at their midsection, splitting the Grimm in two instantly. As a third leapt towards him, he swung out with his left Psi Blade, decapitating the Grimm quickly as a fourth leapt at him, which he dispatched with an upwards swing of his right Psi Blade. A fifth clawed onto his back, and with a roar of effort he flung the creature down on its back, quickly stepping on its head with a forceful stomp, crushing its skull instantly.

His shields shuddered as some of the Beowolves began to throw rocks at him from a distance, realising that close quarters combat was fruitless. As Alaris shielded his face from the barrage, another Beowolf charged him, though he quickly dispatched the Grimm with a swing of his Psi Blades, quickly following through with another swing as a seventh charged him from his right flank. He embedded his blade in the gut of a Beowolf mid-leap, the Grimm thrashing around madly before Alaris thrust the blade forward, dislodging the Grimm.

He let out a sharp yelp as a larger stone was flung towards him, shattering against his shields but also damaging them critically. As he regained his footing, a Beowolf leapt towards him, locking its jaws onto his left forearm as it attempted to pierce the metal and bite down on the soft flesh beneath. As Alaris staggered back, he raised his left arm and thrust his right down, severing the Grimm with a single strike.

As he looked around, he saw that not many of the Grimm were left, some of them taking a step back as they considered their options. The first one he had seen, the one who seemed to be the leader of the pack, tried in vain to rally the rest of the Grimm into one final charge, even going as far as to kill one of the Grimm that was backing away rapidly. He then felt a sharp pain in his back as something heavy thudded against him, shattering his shields immediately. Upon seeing this, the other Grimm suddenly regained whatever accounted for courage in their minds and roared in victory, quickly charging forward once again.

Alaris swung his blade at a charging Beowolf, dispatching the Grimm immediately, but another crashed into his left leg, forcing him into a kneeling position. He swung out at the Grimm as he rose up, until another crashed into his back, knocking him to the ground as it continued rushing forward. As he turned around, a Beowolf charged him and he swung out, but missed by a mere inch as the Grimm locked onto his left arm and pinned it down. Another took the opportunity to charge him again as he swung out with his free arm, though once again he missed, and his free hand was quickly trapped.

The remaining Beowolves quickly charged his crumpled body and leapt upon it, smothering his form under a pile of fur and bone. If there was one good thing about the situation, it was that the Grimm were bickering amongst one another as they fought over who would get the first scraps of flesh. But it mattered little in the long run, either way the Grimm would kill him, either by ripping him apart or simply crushing and smothering him under their combined weight. As the inevitable drew closer, his eyes began to burn with rage. He had survived countless skirmishes against the Zerg and Terran's, he had even been forced to slay his own kin during the end war. He would not die to some insignificant creatures in the middle of nowhere.

With a final roar of defiance, he began to swing his arms around wildly in front of him, causing the Grimm surrounding him to hiss and roar in pain as the Psi Blades cut through their limbs or bodies. When there was sufficient room, he thrust his blades upwards, piercing one Beowolf in the chest whilst another was pierced in the head. He then forced himself off the ground, scattering the Grimm on top of him with a forceful thrust, panting heavily as he overlooked the carnage. Some of the Grimm still lucky enough to be alive quickly scattered, limping away as they clutched severed or broken limbs close to their chests.

Only the leader of the pack remained, who snarled loudly as the Grimm sprinted past it. One Beowolf who was simply not quick enough as they sprinted past the pack leader was quickly grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. The Beowolf thrashed and squirmed as the larger of the two snarled at it, squeezing tightly until a loud crack was heard, and the smaller Beowolf went limp. With a grunt the Beowolf threw the body to the ground and roared loudly at Alaris, its legs spread out wide as it challenged Alaris to attack it.

Alaris sighed as he slowly moved forward, his blades hissing as they blackened the ground beneath them. The Grimm growled lowly as it quickened its pace, nearly sprinting down on all fours. Both charged forward towards one another, until Alaris dropped to the ground, raising his Psi Blade up into the air as the Beowolf leapt forward. The Grimm's eyes went wide with horror as it realised its folly, and it quickly roared in shock and pain as the Psi Blade came into contact with its flesh, quickly cleaving it in two as it landed in a heap, dead.

Alaris panted heavily as he rose up, until he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked down at his gut, his eyes narrowing in confusion as he registered the long rake like gash on his stomach, blood seeping out of the wound. His head suddenly felt light as he fell to his knees, his vision blurring as his grasp on his consciousness began to slip. Then he heard the sound of soft humming as something multiple loud noises came crashing around him.

Three figures suddenly emerged as he began to fall forward, quickly rushing as they began to shout his name. Then, darkness…

 **00000000**

 **Well, that was that. Sorry it's slightly shorter then usual, but I was struggling for a bit with this chapter. Anyway, liked it? Feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	16. Rise

**Another day, another chapter. Just a little announcement first before we dive in, as of next week updates to this story will be on Saturdays seeing as my other story 'The Hero of Remnant' is finished. Now time for review responses. Bravo Tango; one thing I find most RWBY fan fics are guilty of (myself included) is that they underplay the intelligence of the Grimm. And OutlastTheDark; okay, I have to ask, why do you hate the Schnee's so much? Is it something they said? Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 16- Rise**

To say Cinder was in a foul mood was a massive understatement. The creature they had captured that unnerved her so had escaped, and the White Fang Grunts she sent after it never returned. Not only that, but the Grimm already contained were becoming more wild by the day. On more then one occasion had they nearly escaped confinement, and as the days wore on the more incidents there were. What was worse, these alien invaders had made the capturing of more Grimm nearly impossible with both their presence and the increased Atlas presence.

"Cinder! We've got some news." a voice suddenly shouted, causing her to spin around where she was greeted by the sight of Emerald rushing towards her.

"Well spit it out then." Cinder snapped, her voice ragged from the near constant abuse she had been spewing over the past few weeks.

"We think we've tracked down that thing." Emerald replied with a pleased smile on her face. "It's in the menagerie."

"Is that so?" Cinder responded, cocking her head to the side as she searched for any sign of the silver haired assassin. "And where's Mercury?"

"He's still in there, keeping an eye on it." Emerald answered, nodding her head to the corridor behind her. "Come on, before it gets away."

Cinder sighed in exasperation as she let Emerald lead her through the dark corridors, taking note of how silent it was. Strange, she swore that she had posted guards in this section just hours ago. Perhaps both Mercury and Emerald saw it fit to remove them from their posts to combat this beast.

She would find out soon enough either way. Soon, the silence was replaced by the snarls and growls of Creatures of Grimm as they attempted to break out of their cages. Eventually, they entered the menagerie, where thousands of Grimm were imprisoned in large cages, ranging from Beowolves and Creeps to Ursa and Griffon's. Not far from the doorway was Mercury, who waved the pair over to him. Still no sign of the guards, this was getting more unnerving now.

"Thank god you guys made it," Mercury began with a faint smile, nodding behind him into the darkened corner of the room. "I think that things going to make a break for it."

"Mercury, where are the guards?" Cinder demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared daggers at the assassin. Normally such a glare would cause him to cower slightly or shrink away, but for once he seemed to stand his ground.

"They're all dead Cinder." Mercury replied, plucking something from the back of his belt before chucking it forward. It didn't take Cinder long to see she was looking at the crumpled and bloodstained remains of a White Fang mask.

"How did this happen?" Cinder demanded, carelessly kicking the warped metal away from her foot.

"How do you think?" Mercury responded, before pointing behind him with his thumb.

Cinder seethed loudly as she stepped forward into the open space, the Grimm become more feral and wild as she passed them. She quickly snapped her fingers as an orb of fire hovered over her hand, lighting her features up and the surrounding area in an eerie orange glow. She then threw the fire ball towards the vicinity of the room Mercury had indicated, watching as the flame illuminated the shadows. However, there was no sign of the creature as Mercury had promised.

"Are you sure it's here?" Cinder asked as she turned on her heel to face the thief and assassin, an unappeased look on her face.

When she looked at them however, she was surprised to see that Emerald and Mercury had no looks of panic on her face, but smug smiles. She was immediately cautious at this, her fingers flexing in anticipation for what she felt was coming. Then she felt a presence in her mind, a familiar presence. Then she heard it, a voice entering her mind, a voice she immediately recognised.

" _Cinder!"_ the voice beckoned, the voice of her master, Salem. Any joy she would have felt at the voice however, was quickly smothered by the next few words. _"Get out you fool! You have been deceived!"_

Before Cinder could even register the warning, a low hissing growl echoed around her, causing her to freeze as she took a wary step back. The clicking of mandibles followed soon after as she spotted a shape moving over Mercury and Emerald. Then she saw a pair of amber eyes staring at her from the shadows above them, before a loud heavy thud echoed in the darkness. Then the sound of heavy footsteps sounded around her, as a large figure exited the shadows, standing behind the thief and assassin, who's eyes had now glazed over as if they were blind.

Cinder focused her attention on the beast behind them, noticing the Grimm like properties found on the beast. Its hide was like black ink, and had multiple bone like plates with red markings, but it was unlike any Grimm she had seen before. The creatures eyes glowed brightly and immediately the Grimm around her fell silent, instead staring calmly at Cinder, who looked around rapidly at the response. So, the creature had telepathic abilities then? No wonder Emerald and Mercury had been acting so steadfast these past few weeks. She even began to wonder just how long they'd been under the creatures influence.

" _Cinder Fall..."_ the creature hissed, saliva drooling from the dozens of shark like teeth inside its maw. _"You have done well in building this army, and now I offer a choice. Submit, or be devoured."_

Cinder couldn't help but flinch as she felt the creature probe her mind, looking for a weakness in her mental barriers. Once the pain had passed, Cinder shook her head and glared at the creature, her hands flaring up with fire.

" _So be it."_ the creature responded, letting out a savage roar as it leaned forward, Mercury and Emerald charging forward immediately.

Cinder let a smile play across her face as she shot her hands forward, sending lance like projectiles towards the thief and assassin. Emerald rolled to the left, dodging the first missile whilst Mercury delivered a high kick and fired a shot, intercepting the projectile. As Emerald charged forward and drew her twin Kusarigama's, Cinder shot her hands out either side, a pair of Falcata's forming in her hands. The two clashed almost immediately, sparks flying everywhere as the metal weapons clashed against the flame inlaid stone weapons. A loud grunt of effort caused Cinder to turn to her right, where she saw Mercury leap into the air, his heel stretched out to deliver an overhead kick.

Cinder rolled backwards immediately, the kick missing and sending concrete high into the air. As the rubble was sent high into the air, Mercury delivered a series of kicks, sending the rubble flying towards Cinder. She then swung her Falcata's out in front of her, shattering and cleaving through the stone with lethal grace. The Falcata's then disintegrated in her hands as she formed a small compound bow in her hands, three arrows notched in the bow string.

She loosed the arrows at once, the small projectiles piercing through Mercury immediately. Two had become embedded in his robotic leg whilst a third was stuck in his stomach. Usually such a blow from that range would either cripple or cause a man to retch on the spot, but Mercury didn't even seem to notice the wound, even as blood slowly pumped out of third arrow. It seemed that the creature was inhibiting his pain receptors, using all the energy to instead focus on fighting.

Forming another set of arrows, Cinder this time aimed at the creature, loosing the arrows seconds later. The creature was no dull halfwit however, as the four tendrils sprouting from its back quickly intercepted the arrows, wasting precious ammunition. Cinder was quick to pay for such a move, as Emerald fired the chain hooks on one of her weapons, wrapping around her waist and sending her flying towards Emerald. As she came within range, Emerald swung out with her other weapon, sending Cinder flying back. Before she could get far however, she fired the chain again, sending her sprawling towards Emerald only to be rebuked by another blow.

This continued for a while until Emerald kicked her towards Mercury, who quickly spun her around and kneed her in the gut, before plucking two of the arrows from his body and forcing them into Cinder's stomach. Cinder recoiled immediately from the strike, nearly throwing up as she felt the bile rise in her throat. Cinder growled loudly as she pulled the arrows out, her eyes flaring up as her anger increased tenfold.

Emerald fired the chain from her Kusarigama again, though this time Cinder caught it. Before Emerald could react, Cinder tugged harshly on the weapon, causing Emerald to stagger forward. Before she could fall however, Cinder raised her free hand as a set of stone spikes erupted from the floor, right into Emeralds path. Before the thief could stop herself, she ended up impaling herself on the stone, piercing her head and body instantly.

Cinder then turned towards Mercury, who quickly charged to deliver a flying kick. Cinder immediately clenched her hand into a fist and thrust it upwards, a stone fist quickly erupting out of the floor and intercepting the kick, sending Mercury sprawling onto his back whilst also shattering one of his legs. As Mercury tried to stand, Cinder held her hands out either side, two more stone hands appearing either side of Mercury. Before the assassin could react, Cinder clapped her hands together, the stone hands mirroring her movements, quickly crushing Mercury between them.

Cinder let out a sigh as she slumped onto the ground, the conjured stone around her crumbling into dust, Emeralds limp corpse falling forward whilst what remained of Mercury slowly seeped onto the floor. A dry chuckle caused her to look up, where the creature that had controlled them strolled forward, seemingly not caring for the deaths of its two slaves.

" _You fight well, Cinder Fall."_ the creature complimented, its mandibles clicking together in excitement. _"But their deaths mean nothing to me."_

Cinder said nothing in response, only igniting her hands again as she prepared for the coming fight. The creature was quick to charge, leaping forward immediately. Cinder raised her hands and shot out a jet of flame, causing the creature to shriek in discomfort as the fires licked its skin. Then there was a blast of kinetic energy that emerged from the creatures brow, causing Cinder to skid back as the fire was extinguished. The creature then moved onto the offensive, its tendrils shooting out to pierce Cinder, who only just managed to parry the blows with her arms.

Then, one of the tendrils slipped through her defences, piercing her in the shoulder and causing her to scream in pain. Raising her hands, she tried to summon needle like rocks behind her, arcing them over her shoulders to pierce its skull. The creature reacted faster however, grasping hold of the rocks with its hands, bending them backwards and snapping them at the tips. Cinder managed to free herself from the tendril embedded in her shoulder, growling loudly as she formed an orb of fire in her hands. In response, the creature quickly latched a tendril onto her face, throwing her around like a rag-doll before chucking her towards the wall with an audible crack.

Slowly, she raised herself off the ground, her eyes glowing with rage as the creature roared at her in triumph, quickly charging towards her. Cinder slowly moved forward, forming a pair of Falcata's in each hand as she increased her pace. The creature lurched forward with one of its tendrils, Cinder quickly slicing through it as she slipped under its legs. The creature turned as she rose up, shooting another tendril at her which she severed through immediately. The creature then roared in pain as it arched its head back, howling in discomfort at its severed limbs.

Cinder then charged at the creature again, piercing its stomach with both blades. The creature let out a furious roar as it grasped hold of Cinder's head, trying to twist it awkwardly. In response, Cinder released her grip on the Falcata's and summoned a pair of stalagmites behind the creature, quickly piercing the creatures back and raising it off the ground. The creature thrashed and howled in pain as it attempted to free itself, before going silent and still. The stones disintegrated as the creature fell to the ground, its eyes now blanked out as its body began to disintegrate.

Cinder slumped to the ground, ignoring the sounds of the Grimm around her as they roared in obvious fury. But before she could allow herself to rest and recover, she noticed something about the corpse. As it dispersed into shadow, it didn't evaporate like the Grimm usually do. It began to churn and circle itself like a swarm of insects, before streaming towards one of the cages housing a Beowolf.

The smog forced itself into the Beowolf, and it began to cough and retch on the spot as the last of the smoke entered its lungs. The Beowolf then began to howl in pain as the fur on its hide began to moult away, its wolf like tail detaching as a more reptilian one emerged. The Beowolf began to grow in size, vomiting shadow as its bones began to snap and its head deformed into something else. Then growths began to appear on its back and chest, moving around like a worm under skin. Then they burst, the ones on its chest turning into a pair of smaller arms whilst the ones on its back emerged as tendrils. Cinder could only look on in horror as the Beowolf continued to change, until it burst out of the cage and landed before her. She was no longer looking at a Beowolf, but was now looking at the creature again.

"What...what are you?" Cinder whispered as she staggered back, feeling fear for the first time in her life.

The creature let out a deep cackle as it stretched its new limbs stalking forward as its eyes glimmered with murderous intent, the Grimm imprisoned around Cinder howling and snarling in victory.

" _What am I?"_ the creature repeated, quickly rising to full height as the tendrils on its back clenched and unclenched in unison. _"I am Hybrid!"_

The Hybrid roared again as it charged towards Cinder, who weakened by her consecutive duals offered little resistance this time. Just like it had planned. The tendrils shot forward at Cinder, piecing her flesh and snapping bone with their repetitive hits. Cinder let out screams of pain from each blow that struck her, causing her to crumple to the floor in a heap. One of the tendrils then clasped onto her scalp, turning her head so that she was facing the Hybrid.

" _I offered you a choice."_ the Hybrid stated, cocking its head slightly as it released its grip. _"But you chose death instead."_

The Hybrid then let out a savage roar that seemed to shake the very foundations of the building. Cinder winced in pain as the screaming continued, until she heard the sound of metal shattering around her. The screaming ceased as she heard a heavy thud next to her, where she turned and was greeted by the sight of a Creep staring at her with murderous intent. Cinder's eyes went wide as she heard another thud behind her, catching the briefest glance of a Griffon hissing loudly.

More Grimm landed around her, until she was surrounded on all sides by Grimm. The Creep charged first, latching its jaw onto Cinder's arms, causing her to scream as it began to tear at the limb. A Beowolf then pounced forward, biting into her stomach and tearing out a chunk of flesh. Cinder continued to scream, even as the Griffon behind her snapped its beak around her head, muffling her screams as the rest of the Grimm charged forward, all of them charging forward to get a taste of Maiden flesh.

The Hybrid huffed in amusement, turning away from the bloody spectacle as it sauntered forward, the Grimm moving aside quickly as it approached. It then stepped towards the double doors that led out into the open world. Using little strength, it tore the doors open, letting light flood into the room. The Grimm closest to the door hissed loudly as the light pierced their vision, before their eyes adjusted to the vision and they began to pour out. Soon, the open plains before them were surging with Grimm that tore apart anything that they came across.

The Hybrid turned to the east, where the top of a Protoss structure was barely visible above the foliage. First it would deal with the threat of the Firstborn. Then it would extinguish this world and all on it.

 **00000000**

 **Well, that's that chapter. Liked it, feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews. And remember, as of next week updates will be every Saturday!**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	17. The Reveal

**Hello everyone. Another day, another chapter. Now that this is my only story, updates will pop up every Saturday now instead of every Sunday. Now, review response time. Lord-Krun; You know, that is an excellent question. I guess so...maybe...probably. Bravo Tango; well, I always thought that her weapons were made of Obsidian (volcanic stone) so I was going with that assumption. Akshka; well, we'll see. And OutlastTheDark; not true! She didn't die in my Overwatch crossover (honestly, despite loving villains in most things I watch, I really hate the RWBY villains...well, except Torchwick but he's dead now)! Plus, you still haven't answered my question. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 17- The Reveal**

Alaris awoke immediately after what felt like years of sleep. How long had he been out? A few hours? Days? Weeks? He didn't know, and he found it frightened him somewhat. He rose up seconds later, only to regret it immediately when he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his abdomen.

"Hold still Templar." a soft voice cooed, a gentle hand pushing him down seconds later onto his rest bed. "We wouldn't want to inflict new wounds on your form now, would we?"

Alaris looked towards the source of his voice, their silhouette darkened against the blinding light of the sun. Eventually, his eyes adjusted to the light and he managed to make out the details of the one tending him. She was clearly a Nerazim, as identified by her lavender skin and emerald green eyes. Her severed Nerve Cords were adorned with jewellery, with a large crest that the Nerazim considered a beautiful feature. She was garbed in purple robes with multiple Zerg skulls and claws offering some form of minor protection.

Alaris groaned once again as his hand probed the wound on his stomach; three large serrations across his body from when the Beowolf attacked him. As he felt it, his hands recoiled slightly at the heat, suggesting that the wound had only just been cauterized recently. He also noticed that he was quite bare in terms of clothing, only a simple loincloth protecting his decency. A quick look at his surroundings told him that his armour was nearby, clean and repaired of all damage, including new Crystal Matrices. His thoughts returned to the Nerazim tending to him, who was too engrossed in her work to notice him looking at her.

"Where am I?" Alaris managed to ask, surprising the Nerazim slightly as she snapped her head towards him.

"You are at one of our outposts Templar." the Nerazim responded, returning to her work as she spoke. "Not one of our Garrisons mind you, just a research facility. Hence the poor conditions of your accommodation."

"I have been in worse situations..." Alaris grunted, wincing slightly as he more carefully adjusted himself.

"That I have no doubt of." the Nerazim chuckled, her eyes glancing at his left arm or more accurately, the scar present on it. "Not many who can kill a Hydralisk and receive a scar that small."

"The filth was already half dead when I killed it." Alaris defended, his eyes closing as he remembered the day he received the scar, at the time his only one.

"And you think that weakens the feat?" the Nerazim questioned, her eyebrow raised slightly. Alaris simply grunted and turned his head away, earning another small chuckle from the Nerazim.

"How did you find me?" Alaris asked, recalling whatever small details he could from when he passed out. He remembered his name being shouted and figures rushing towards him, but that was all he could remember.

"One of our attack forces passed this way, left a few of their warriors behind." the Nerazim explained, her head never turning from her work. "Their Commander was looking for you, and hoped we had seen you. The men he had left behind were returning from a patrol when they brought you in. That was a few days ago."

"How many?" Alaris asked.

"Maybe two or three days at the most." the Nerazim responded. "We sent a message to your Commander, he was pleased to hear you still lived."

"Thraos." Alaris murmured, causing the Nerazim to turn towards him. "His name is Thraos."

"I see." the Nerazim responded, her head turning towards Alaris as she spoke. "And may I know your name?"

"Alaris." Alaris replied, turning towards the Nerazim. "And yours?"

"My name is Nevaris." the Nerazim, Nevaris, replied, placing a hand on her chest as she bowed her head lowly. "Now, I do believe that my work here is done for the time being. I will return in a few hours. I suggest you get some rest Alaris."

Alaris simply nodded as he watched Nevaris leave his side, walking towards a small building that no doubt served as a supply room of some form. Alaris leaned back onto the bed, letting out a relieved sigh as he felt the stabbing pain coursing through his body subside ever so slightly, allowing him a few precious moments of rest. For the time being, he was safe.

 **00000000**

The Hybrid could barely hide the satisfaction it felt as it marched its army through the forest of this pitiful planet. Already its army was growing larger after every victory against the Protoss. So far, there had been no survivors to report their presence, but it knew its luck would soon change. Eventually, the Firstborn would investigate the disappearances of their outposts, and it wouldn't be long until at least one survivor emerged from the remnants of its rampage.

But it mattered little in the long run. The Hybrids army would soon overwhelm both the Protoss and the Human natives of this planet. With each victory, more Grimm flocked to his horde. Some were easily coerced into his ranks, others had to be broken personally, whilst some didn't stay for long and simply left once they'd had their fill of blood and gore.

The Hybrid grunted softly as it observed the next outpost, still some miles away. It wouldn't take them long to reach it if the terrain was clear enough. A noise soon drew his attention, causing him to turn towards the source. A group of Zealot's were moving through the undergrowth, no doubt on a patrol. Without even a single roar of command, the Grimm charged the Protoss, catching the steadfast warriors off guard. Though they fought nobly, they still fell under the unrelenting onslaught of teeth and claws.

One of the Zealot's, armed with a sturdy Psi Axe, was cleaving through the Grimm that approached him with ease, backing away at a quick and steady pace. The Hybrid growled lightly at the offence, knowing that the warrior could easily escape. With a roar, it charged into the fray, trampling and crushing any Grimm that didn't move out of the way in time. The Zealot froze on the spot at the sight of the fast approaching Hybrid, his eyes wide in shock and surprise. Before he could react, the Hybrid thrust out with one of its tendrils, punching through the Protoss' head in a single strike, withdrawing seconds later as the headless body slumped down, the Crystal Matrices activating too late to save him.

The Hybrid growled in pleasure as it brought the tendril closer to its mouth, licking away at the blood staining the limb. It let out another satisfying hiss as it pointed towards the Protoss base, the Grimm surging forward in a tide of black shadows.

" _SLAY THEM ALL!"_ the Hybrid commanded, followed response of a chorus of howls and roars.

 **00000000**

Alaris had begun the final preparations for his armour when he first heard the cacophony of noises in the distance, his eyes furrowing with concern. Scooping his helmet in his hands, he slowly strode forward towards the centre of the small camp. It was apparent that he wasn't the only one who had noticed the noise, as all the Protoss present were now looking towards the distance, the trees ruffling slightly.

"What in Adun was that?" an Engineer muttered, glancing towards Alaris as if he might know the answer.

"I do not know..." Alaris replied, stepping forward slightly as he spoke.

"The wind maybe?" the Engineer suggested, though the tone of his voice made it clear he didn't believe a word he said.

"No, it can't be. The air is still." Alaris replied as he narrowed his eyes, leaning forward slightly. "And it's getting closer."

True to his word, the rustling of the trees was getting closer by the second, though the Protoss refused to move from their positions. Then they heard it again, though this time the noise was much more profound, and easily identifiable.

"Grimm..." Alaris muttered as he rapidly approached the borders of the camp, a pair of Photon Cannons scanning the surrounding area for hostile lifeforms.

Without warning, a large Beowolf suddenly burst through the clearing, stumbling forward as it tripped over its own feet, snarling in triumph as it made for Alaris. Both Photon Cannons turned towards the beast, firing blasts of energy at the Grimm repeatedly. The Beowolf howled in surprise as the first blast swept it off its feet, only to be silenced when the second blast split through its jaw, killing it instantly.

There would be no respite however, for before the first Grimm hit the ground, a Creep burst in after it, using the corpse of its fellow to propel itself forward. Alaris activated one of his Psi Blades and swung out at the Creep, slicing the top half of its jaw off as it crumpled to the ground. More Grimm were now emerging through the forests, a small number slipping through the defences of the outpost as they made for the Protoss within.

Had this been a Garrison, the defenders would be pushing the Grimm back, fighting with as much ferocity as their foes. But these were not warriors, and many fled from the approaching Grimm whilst those that tried to fight or were simply too slow to act fell easily enough. Alaris turned at the sound of a shrill scream, snapping his head towards a Khalai Smith who had been tackled by a Creep, the reptilian Grimm now tearing at his stomach. Alaris quickly placed his helmet on and charged the Grimm, kicking the beast in its chin, sending it swerving upwards before slicing down at its neck.

The Smith was already dead by the time Alaris turned to face him, causing him to instead turn his attention towards the rest of the camp. The Grimm had already torn apart one of the Photon Cannons, and were now working on the other. Then he saw as the Grimm, rather then outright attack the buildings, began to surge towards the Pylons, attacking the Psionic Structures in order to deactivate the surrounding buildings.

Alaris could not believe what he had just seen. He knew the Grimm were intelligent to a degree, but he was under the assumption that the intelligence came with age. Were they older he would have waved off the concern, but the size of the Grimm and the weakness of the flesh, as demonstrated by a Khalai Smith managing to split the skull of a Beowolf with a single strike with his work mallet, seemed to indicate that these Grimm were young. How could the young of body work with the mind of a veteran?

His thoughts were interrupted by a savage snarl, and he turned as an Ursa swung out with its paw, sending Alaris flying towards a building, his shields flaring violently as he struck the wall. The Ursa roared as it charged Alaris, still dazed from the blow. At the last second, Alaris dived to the side, the Ursa crashing into the building head first with a satisfying crack. As Alaris rose, he turned to watch a Creep charge him, moving too fast for him to raise a blade in defence. Before the Grimm could get far however, a Warp Blade suddenly swung out at the Creeps midsection, causing it to hiss in pain as it was cleaved in two. Alaris turned to face his saviour, expecting to find a Centurion, but was surprised to see Nevaris standing before him, her right hand bathed in an eerie green glow.

"Is this what you Templar do all day?" Nevaris asked, holding out her free hand which Alaris quickly took.

Instead of responding to the Nerazim's quip, he chose to instead look out at the devastation around them. The Grimm were running rampant throughout the camp, destroying and killing all in their way.

"Gods, I never thought this could happen." Nevaris muttered, shaking her head slowly. "We usually come under attack from the odd pack, but never an entire horde."

"Nevaris, is there any way to escape safely?" Alaris asked, turning towards Nevaris as he spoke. When she did not immediately answer, he grasped her shoulder and tugged sharply, snapping her out of her stupor. "This base is lost! I need to know if there is a way to lead the survivors to safety."

"Y...yes...there's a Warp Gate that links towards the main Garrison..." Nevaris finally murmured, turning towards Alaris. "It's on the far side of the camp. Unless the Grimm have boxed us in, it should be safe for the moment."

"Very well, I'll find as many as I can and lead them to safety." Alaris responded as his Psi Blades surged up slightly. "Head there now, and get anyone you can there."

"As you wish." Nevaris replied, bowing slightly as she made towards the far end of the camp, leaving Alaris alone.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Alaris moved his legs apart as he swerved the Psi Blades out in front of him, causing a loud thrumming noise to sound as his blades rasped against one another. A Beowolf answered the challenge, striding forward and leaping towards him. Alaris simply leaned to the side as the Beowolf passed, slicing the blade through its internal organs with little to no effort.

He then strode forward, batting away a Creep that tried to flank him with a single backhanded strike, snapping its head back upon contact. The sounds of fighting drew him closer to the chaos, where he saw a small group of Templar and Nerazim fighting off the Grimm in a small circle. Only a few warriors stood amongst them, and they seemed to be tiring quickly. With a roar, Alaris charged into the fray, slicing through the back of the closest Grimm, severing the spinal chord and causing it to howl in pain as it crumpled on the spot.

A Beowolf charged him, though was quickly intercepted by a Zealot who struck out at the Grimm, splitting it in two. Another Beowolf charged him again, though Alaris caught the Grimm by the neck, the beast snapping and swiping as it attempted to claw his face. Alaris merely tightened his grip on the neck, a satisfying crack sounding seconds later as he crushed the bone within, the Beowolf slumping to the ground dead. Alaris then turned towards the small cluster of Protoss, who watched him with trepidation.

"This way, now!" Alaris ordered, thrusting a blade into the air. "We're leaving."

"But...our research?!" one of the Smiths begged, his eyes wide with panic at the prospect of losing his work.

"Will only slow us down." Alaris countered, nodding towards the far end of the camp. "We have to leave, now."

Despite their reservations, the small cluster of Protoss began to move forward, the small number of warriors and workers willing to fight slashing and hacking ever so often when a Grimm came too close for comfort. Some Protoss who they passed immediately went towards them for cover, the small ring of warriors opening up for only a brief second before closing up again. Eventually, Alaris caught sight of the Warp Gate, and he immediately became wary. There was no sign of Nevaris, or any other Protoss for that matter. Had they been intercepted? Perhaps, though he kept a keen eye open regardless.

"Get the Warp Gate operated immediately, link us to the Garrison as quickly as you can!" Alaris ordered, the small cluster of Smiths nodding quickly as they began to work with the gate. "Warriors, on me! We make our stand here!"

The small cluster of Centurions and Zealots nodded, forming a small semicircle around the group should the Grimm burst through unexpectedly. Yet the Grimm never came, even as the Smiths worked to their fullest. More Protoss began to make their way, those that could fight joining the semicircle whilst those that couldn't joined the cluster immediately.

"There!" a Nerazim smith suddenly yelled, followed immediately by the whir of a Warp Gate activating. "The Warp Gate is activated!"

"Get them through immediately." Alaris ordered, he and his small number of warriors slowly backing away as the cluster of Smiths grew smaller. "How do we stop the Grimm using the Warp Gate?"

"Whilst I personally believe such a thing can happen, if you wish you must simply rupture the fuel cells." the Nerazim Smith replied warily, his eyes furrowed in confusion. "You should have a few seconds before the Warp Gate detonates and traps you here."

"Very well, now go." Alaris ordered, the Smith nodding as he quickly made his way through. "All of you, go through quickly."

The gathered warriors nodded once before they slowly retreated towards the Warp Gate. As Alaris began to slowly back away, a shrill shriek suddenly echoed around him. Alaris and those that had not made it through paused in their tracks immediately, looking around warily at the noise. Alaris caught sight of movement in the distance, and braced himself for a surge. But no such attack came, as a single large figure strode forward.

As the figure came into sight, Alaris froze immediately. No, it couldn't be. He refused to believe such a thing was possible. They were all meant to be dead. Yet despite what he believed, there it was standing before him.

A Hybrid.

Alaris then noticed that there was something in one of its many tendrils, which it threw forward seconds later. There was a dull thud as it landed in front of Alaris, and he froze. It was Nevaris' head, a shocked look etched on her face as a small pool of black blood began to form beneath it. The Hybrid's mouth twisted into some attempt at a wicked smile, as it then let out a challenging roar.

Seconds later, Grimm surged forward, trampling over one another in an attempt to reach the stunned warriors. Alaris then felt his arms being held back as the Zealots either side of him began to pull him to safety, one armed with a Psi Axe leaning forward as he hacked through the exposed fuel cell. It lit up immediately as it began to leak energy, Alaris and the others making it through just as the fuel cells burst. But that was not what was chief of Alaris' concerns at this moment in time.

The Hybrid were back.

 **00000000**

 **Well, hope you liked it everyone. Liked it? Feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either leave in your review or PM me.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	18. A Threat Ignored

**Another day, another chapter. First, review responses. OutlastTheDark; glad you liked that chapter my friend. Akshka; glad you liked the chapter. Bravo Tango; you wanted an interaction between the Protoss and Humans? You may like this chapter then. And Donald; well, given enough time, yes, I believe they could. If you are referring to the first contact with the Grimm a couple of chapters back, if you read carefully you can see that the Beowolf's attempts at piercing the armour were unsuccessful so it resorted to tearing at the flesh which was not protected by the Protoss Armour. Now, on with the show!**

 **00000000**

 **Chapter 18- A Threat Ignored**

"Are you certain of this?" Thraos asked as he looked questioningly at Alaris, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I am certain Praetor." Alaris responded with a small nod of his head, his helmet cupped beneath his arms. "A Hybrid is leading a Grimm Horde, and it will be soon heading this way."

Thraos regarded his pupil for a short while before sighing. There was an element of truth to Alaris' words. When he had first arrived with the survivors, he was shaken. The outpost had been attacked by a Grimm Horde with few survivors. Of course they were more fortunate than the other outposts that had been attacked before then. At first they believed it to be Atlas retaliating to their advances, but their Observers had found no trace of Human interaction. A Grimm Horde certainly made more sense, but a Horde led by a Hybrid? That was impossible.

"Alaris, I do not doubt your report on the Grimm." Thraos began, immediately noting Alaris clenching his fists tightly in response. "But the Hybrid are no more. They were wiped out over a year ago when Amon was destroyed in the Void."

"I saw it Praetor, clear as day. As did many others." Alaris quickly defending, holding his free arm out in an exasperated manner.

"We have spoken with the warriors that came with you." Thraos explained, nodding towards Alaris as he spoke. "While some support your claim, many do not."

"Praetor, you must listen to me!" Alaris pleaded, leaning forward slightly. "This Hybrid is a real threat, and if you ignore it we will surely be damned!"

"My decision is final Alaris." Thraos responded, his voice dangerously low as he spoke. "I will hear no more of this matter."

"But Praetor-"

"Alaris enough!" Thraos snapped, turning fully to face Alaris, who flinched slightly at the sudden outburst. "I understand that your mind may be weary after all you have faced, but I will hear no more of this Hybrid nonsense. If I hear so much as another word of it, I will have you broken down the ranks. Is that clear?"

Alaris moved to speak, to protest at his Commander further. But upon seeing the burning glare in his eyes, he knew that Thraos was not lying about his threats. With a look of resignation, Alaris stood upright and nodded slightly. Thraos seemed to visibly relax at the response, waving Alaris away with a simple gesture.

"Leave me be for now, Alaris." Thraos murmured quietly. "I think it would be best for you to continue with your duties."

"As you command, Praetor." Alaris responded with a nod, swiftly turning around to leave his Commander be.

As he left Thraos' chambers, he silently cursed Thraos' thick headedness. Surely he was not so foolish as to ignore the Hybrid threat? When the first sightings of the Zerg were reported so many years ago, Thraos was one of the few to believe the reports and so was prepared when the Golden Armada did encounter the Swarm for the first time. Yet when he was told that a Hybrid was alive and leading the Grimm against them, he refused to believe it. He slammed his fist against a nearby wall, immediately regretting the action when a surging pain shot through his arm.

He slowly shook his hand to relieve some of the pain, and instantly caught sight of something at the fringes of the camp that made him quite curious. He quickly began to approach the offending sight, gently pushing his way past the multiple Protoss that were going about their daily business. Eventually he arrived, and was instantly surprised by the sight.

The wreckage of a large ship was lying flat on the ground, just off the fringes of their camp. Probes were flocking towards the wreckage, using their Particle Beams to tear small pieces of the vessel away for easier transportation to the Forges of the Smiths. A small cluster of Zealot's surrounded the wreckage, no doubt to guard the Probes whilst they worked, with an Observer high in the sky, scanning the surrounding area for any enemies that became too curious. He approached one of the Khalai Smiths overseeing the procedures. The Smith turned slightly as Alaris approached, but immediately turned back to his work.

"Smith, what is going on here?" Alaris commanded, the Smith turning ever so slightly to address Alaris.

"One of the Human vessels came too close to comfort for our defences." the Smith replied. "We didn't see it at first, but the Observer and Photon Cannons quickly spotted it and brought it down. Our Stalkers and Sentry's didn't see it until then. Our guess is it had a cloaking device installed."

"I see." Alaris responded, nodding his head slightly. If it had a cloaking device that was in use, either it was trying to scan the base for weaknesses or was simply trying to pass without attracting attention. It was no doubt a nasty surprise for them then when it was picked up by the Observer and Photon Cannons. "Were there any survivors?"

"A few initially, but all but one ended up surrendering." the Smith explained, before leaning over to Alaris as if to whisper to him. "And from what I've heard, she's one of those Huntresses that we've been oh so keen on getting our hands on."

"A Huntress" Alaris asked, surprise clear in his voice. "Are you certain?"

"As certain as I can be." the Smith replied. "We've only ever found dead ones before, so you can imagine how the higher ups must feel about capturing a live one."

"I can imagine they would feel surprised at first, then joyful at having their orders accomplished, before determination at finding out what makes these Humans 'tick'." Alaris muttered to himself. "Where is the Human being kept?"

"At the moment she's being held within the Nexus. Though I imagine it will only be a matter of time before she's transported to the Fleet to be experimented on." the Smith explained, turning back to his work as he spoke.

"I see..." Alaris muttered, before backing away and nodding towards the Smith. "Thank you, I will let you return to your work."

The Smith didn't acknowledge the statement, already engrossed back into his work. Alaris quickly began to back away, heading straight towards the Nexus. He was admittedly curious about this Huntress they had captured. He'd only ever had the privilege of facing one of these Hunters in combat, and he'd only spoken once to a Human of this world in the first place. To be able to speak properly with one would be interesting to him.

Before he even knew it, he was at the Nexus, quickly entering the Protoss Command Centre and traversing the corridors within. A large number of Guards and Specialists were wandering the Halls alongside him, no doubt seeing to their duties. Eventually, he made it to what he could only assume was where the Huntress was being kept, a pair of Zealots in full body armour guarding the doorway, each armed with a large Psi Axe and Shield. As he approached the doorway, both Zealot's stepped forward, presenting their Shields in a halting manner.

"Halt, Templar." one of the Zealot's commanded, Alaris immediately obeying the order. "The Prisoner is to be seen by no one without proper authorisation. Praetor's orders."

"I merely wish to speak with the Prisoner, that is all." Alaris explained, backing away slowly as the Guards advanced at the same pace.

"You may speak with the Prisoner...once you have the proper authorisation." the second Guard repeated in a somewhat condescending tone.

"I will only be a moment, please." Alaris pleaded, taking note of the more threatening approach the Guards were taking.

"This is your last chance, Templar." the first Guard warned, quickly lowering his Psi Axe in a thrusting manner while he held his Shield out to block any attacks, his partner doing likewise almost simultaneously. "Turn back now, or we will be forced to use violent methods."

Alaris stepped back to observe his chances of taking both Guards on. Both were heavily armoured, and looked as though they knew how to use their weapons too. There would be no way of taking them both on it seemed. Even if he did manage to defeat them both, he would be reported for attacking a fellow Templar, the penalty for which would surely be death or something more humiliating. He would have to concede defeat it seemed.

"As you wish." Alaris replied, bowing his head slightly as he began to back away a respectful distance, the Guards lowering their battle stances as they slowly backed away to their posts, standing upright once again.

Alaris continued to watch the Guards until they were no longer in sight. He would have to find some other way of getting to the Prisoner if he wanted to talk to them. As his mind thought of a way to bypass the Guards, a thought struck him. Why was he so insistent on talking to this Huntress? Surely it was not simply so he could sate his curiosity was it? Or was it simply trying to find some form of peace of mind? He honestly didn't know. Yet he knew that if he let the matter be he would never be able to sate his curiosity.

From his point of view, there was only one sure fire way of getting to the Prisoner, and that meant speaking to the Praetor.

 **00000000**

Winter could not believe her predicament. On her return journey, her Ship had strayed too close to the enemy camp by pure accident. Despite her vessel having the latest advancements in stealth technology, her ship had been detected regardless and was shot down. The ship crashed soon after, and she and the survivors were forced to fight for their very lives. They had taken many of the enemy before the survivors were killed and she was surrounded. She had attempted to resist capture, but one of their Warriors had drained her energy and fed it back into her as a discharge of some form, knocking her out cold. When she woke up, she was floating in some sort of stasis chamber, blue energy surrounding her and acting as a forcefield.

Many of the enemy had visited her since her capture, ranging from scientists to interrogators and at some points even curious Soldiers. The latter had only visited her at the first few hours of her imprisonment, no doubt losing interest after a while when it became clear she wouldn't talk to her captors.

The scientists hadn't tried to experiment on her physically yet, and the interrogators had tried to probe her mind. How they had done so she didn't know, and it honestly frightened her at first. Her training at Atlas prepared her for interrogations of many styles, including types that assaulted the mind, but she wasn't expecting something on the level the enemy possessed. She was frightened that at first her mental barriers would surely fail against the assault, but she immediately collected her thoughts and banished any unease she had. Further attempts had not nearly been as effective as the first, perhaps they were less interested in her knowledge, or she simply wasn't guarding her thoughts as well as she believed.

She then heard a commotion outside the doors to her prison, paying close attention to what was happening. There were no signs of a violent interaction unfortunately, meaning that those outside the door were not part of a search and rescue team. The doors opened and Winter immediately set her eyes on the one who entered, expecting to find either one of the scientists or interrogators. She was surprised to no end to discover it was neither, but another warrior. From what features she could discern, they looked young, yet from what little she could see they carried some scars. Under their arm was a helmet that bore the same expressionless features as his face...assuming it was a he.

The warrior strode forward to one of the walls of the room, the doors closing soon after. The warrior looked at her slightly before leaning against the wall, crossing one leg over the other. He simply stared at her for some time before he spoke, his words echoing through her minds.

"You look...comfortable."

Winter didn't dignify the statement with a response, instead focusing directly ahead. If this was the warriors attempt at small talk, it was miserably pathetic to say the least. Even the most nervous of recruits had more social grace then this. Regardless, she still found it somewhat chilling the way the enemy spoke, how their words echoed directly into her mind. She felt violated every time a word was murmured.

"I understand that your men were killed when you were captured..." the warrior spoke once again, Winter flinching slightly as the words crawled through her mind. "You have my sympathies."

Winter once again did not acknowledge the warrior, still staring directly ahead of her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the warrior move from his position until he was directly in front of her. Clearly the warrior wanted to force a conversation, so she simply lowered her gaze until she was staring directly in front of the warrior, glaring deep into his eyes.

"Why do you continue to fight?" the warrior suddenly asked.

Winter was momentarily caught off guard. Not by the question itself, but the way it was asked. There was no tone of condescending present, it sounded as if the warrior was genuinely curious. Despite this however, Winter still refused to answer. The warrior unfortunately took this as a sign that his question was elaborate enough, and continued to talk.

"You may outnumber us on the ground, and we have yet to see your fleet in battle, but we outnumber you on every other front." the warrior explained, circling Winters prison slowly. "We have superior technology and tactics. With every battle you only delay the inevitable. So, why do you continue to fight?"

"Why do you care so much?" Winter responded, mentally chiding herself for interacting with the warrior, despite telling herself not to.

"I am merely curious." the warrior responded, looking up at Winter as he spoke. "Despite the surety of your defeat, you continue to fight regardless."

"Perhaps it is you who are so sure of victory." Winter responded venomously. "So sure in fact, you cannot conceive the idea of defeat."

"Perhaps we both are so confident in victory we cannot conceive defeat." the warrior chuckled. "I myself am smart enough to realise that perhaps we have been focusing on the wrong foe."

Winter did not respond, but cocked her eyebrow slightly. She was now genuinely curious as to what the warrior would say.

"As a native, I'm sure you are well aware of the threat of the Grimm." the warrior continued, awaiting a response from Winter. When he received none, he chose to continue. "The Grimm have become more restless since our war began, though now most recently more so then ever."

"Perhaps they'll do our job for us then, save us the resources." Winter muttered. "Your war is what riled them up no doubt. With you gone, I'm sure things will settle down rather quickly."

"You don't understand." the warrior grumbled, turning towards Winter quickly. "The Grimm are being led by something you cannot comprehend, a foe that we only managed to defeat united. Once it finishes with us, it will deal with you, and you will be able to hold no prayer against its might."

"What are you talking about?" Winter demanded, struggling slightly against her bindings as she attempted to step forward, forgetting she was imprisoned.

The warrior did not reply, instead his eyes glowing brighter as he glared at Winter. Immediately Winter felt a presence force its way into her mind, breaking away at her mental barriers. Despite her best attempts to resist, she began to see fleeting visions transpiring before her. It didn't take her long to realise that the warrior was showing her his memories, those most recent if the familiarity of the land was anything to go by. Then she saw it. The creature that haunted her nightmares ever since she had first laid eyes upon it.

One of the Hybrid, standing before her clear as day. Her own thoughts and memories soon began to meld with the ones she was shown, and judging from the look of shock on the warriors face, he wasn't expecting this. Whatever connection was between the two was soon shattered, the warrior staggering back whilst Winter began to breathe heavily, her attempts at trying to regain whatever form she had failing miserably as the thoughts of the Hybrid rushed back to her.

"You've seen them before..." the warrior muttered quietly, backing away slowly as the look of shock and confusion remained etched on his face.

Winter continued to breathe, her grip on her emotions slipping ever so slightly the more the Hybrid re-entered her thoughts. The only thing stopping her from losing full control was the warrior in front of her. She would not allow herself to be seen in such a state in front of the enemy. Slowly, the warrior backed away from her, until he left the room quickly, the doors closing behind him as he left. And then, she let whatever restraint she held slip, her mournful sobbing echoing quietly across the room.

 **00000000**

 **Well, that's that chapter done. Liked it? Feel free to review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either PM me or leave in your reviews. Oh, and one more thing. NO RWBY VOLUME 4 SPOILERS IN THE REVIEWS PLEASE! Please be considerate about this, as I and no doubt many others will not be able to watch it straight away.**

 **Raging Archon out.**


	19. Announcement

**Hello everyone. It pains me to say this, but I don't think I will continue this fic any more. I've been thinking this for a while now. In fact, there have been times where I've nearly done this but refrained from doing so because I didn't want to disappoint any of those that have taken the time to read this fic. But I've come to the harsh realisation that I can't continue with this fic. My heart just isn't in it any more, and if my heart isn't in it, then I just don't care as much writing it, and that isn't fair to all of you.**

 **The fact of the matter is, it was a mistake to write this story in the first place, I wasn't ready to write something like this. So you can imagine my surprise when I kept seeing all the positive feedback in reviews, and honestly, some chapters were fun to write. But my decision is final; The Stars Our Home is now cancelled. I know some of you will be disappointed, angry even, and you have every right to be. I'll be taking a short break from writing Fan Fics for a short while but I will return. I will be keeping this fic up, both for your enjoyment and if I do retain the heart to continue this story.**

 **En Taro Tassadar fellow writers, I hope you all enjoy both RWBY volume 4 and Blizzcon.**


End file.
